The Peters family was returning from Yellowstone National Park when their dad spotted some grizzly bears playing by the roadside. He decided to stop to watch and get some pictures.
One of the bears wandered over to a car and began sniffing, then it crossed the road and came straight for the Peters’ car. The bear sniffed, tried to climb up on the hood and pawed at the windows.
Throughout the bear’s visit there were lots of giggling, gasps and comments about how big he was, and the size of his paws. One child said, “Go away!” Another commented about how curious the bear was. As it was getting up close and personal with the family, one child commented that this was really freaking him out.
After about four minutes, which probably seemed like an eternity, the bear decided to move on. As it trotted across the road, one of the children exclaimed, “We’re alive! We’re alive!” Another said, “That was the scariest thing on Earth.”
Those children will probably remember that close encounter for their entire lives. Not only will they tell their friends, but they may write about this summertime memory when, on the first day of school, the teacher asks them to write about what they did on vacation. There is a good chance that when they play Truth and Lies they will include the grizzly bear story, hoping people will think it is a lie. If they have children, they have a ready-made bedtime story to tell time and again and, of course, the grandchildren will ask for the story repeatedly.