A Polar Bear Named Peter

My name is Peter.  I live with my preacher pal.  I was going to say where, but truth be told we are not yet settled.  Today is the first moving day of my life.  I cannot say I am very pleased about this.  You see, the packing has been rather traumatic.  At one time, make that twice, I had to wait in the closet until all things got sorted out.  Closet waiting is not very fun, though, I was not alone.  Company in closets makes waiting bearable.  

But that gets me ahead of things, my first blog is supposed to be my introduction.  I came to my preacher pal as a Christmas gift in 2011.  So I am just over a year old.  When I was chosen, it was my skills at giving loving, supportive hugs that won the day, that is the human story.  The bear facts are these.  I may be stuffed but I am not made of fluff.  I chose my preacher pal and hugged very tightly so that the human would pick me.  Humans need to be encouraged to make good choices, and hugs work well for me.  

I spend most of my days observing human behaviors, not just of my preacher pal, but friends, family, and when I get to travel even strangers.  Now and then my preacher pal captures me caught in the act of pondering my observations.  Then sends that picture with references to the event to my writer, the author of this blog.  She in turn will share my ponderings, sometimes she will get it right and sometimes she will edit, because after all, she is human.


For example, I already told you about the closet trauma, now let me show you. See I was not alone.  My companion, Aria, was snuggling close to me and being supportive.  She is much older and has experienced moving before.  It is not as scary to her.  If you look carefully though, she is also watching with great intensity to preacher pal's every move.  I am definitely distressed over this move and how I lost my place on the bed.  My preacher pal organizing and reassuring that all will be well.  I have only lived in one place and now venturing into the unknown, though I did take a Christmas vacation to parts of my new state, so not so unknown.  Moving and new beginnings are exciting yet scary.  I said that already didn't I.  So as I look longingly at the bed which is now covered with stuff, I worry that I too may end up in a box.  

I am also quite sad because the humans I have known will not all be coming with me.  Some going other places and some staying put for now.  I know mostly preachers and staying put does not seem to be very preacherly.  

What I have been pondering is how humans get to know one another.  I have been pondering because of this time of change when the humans around me are sorting out relationships.  Humans I have observed do not do well alone.  They need connections and moving changes connections.  As I ponder the possibilities of potential new humans in my life, I am perplexed. There do not seem to be any set patterns to follow in this getting to know you ritual.  Humans do not smell one another to determine friend or foe.  I have noticed sometimes foe becomes friend and friend becomes foe.  Best that I can tell, humans use words to get to know one another.  They share their story.  As friendship deepens the stories become more intimate.

It is like hugging.  I hug everyone, well, everyone who will let me hug them.  Some hugs very short, not much body touching, other hugs long, full body contact.  Deep full body hugs are intimate and close.  As humans begin to know one another their stories are like my hugs, at first very shallow without much of self exposed and then as trust builds the story deepens until all is revealed.  Then this amazing thing happens with humans, that deep connection never goes away even when physically apart.  The stories are part of each others lives and not just remembered but cherished.  They travel not for food but to visit these cherished friends.  They have great ways of keeping those connections over space and time, texting (bears cannot text, paws not made for texting), skyping (not sure I can skype but willing to try), then tweeting, sounds rather birdlike (bear not bird), and facebooking (do not have an account), blogging, and then just simple letter writing or telephone calls, amazing how humans can remain connected. 

So, I too am venturing into human word connections, I am sharing my story with you.  As we get to know one another, maybe you will share too.  

Maybe this moving thing not so scary, I get to ride in a basket not a box.  I get to watch the landscape change as I travel to my new home.  I get to bring you with me.

Pondering,
Peter