The forest is insanely, chaotically, erratically dangerous. There are so many things that can eat you. So many things that can burn you. So many things that can make horrible screeching sounds at you. So many things that might mock you just because you accidentally tripped on a rock and rolled into some mud and then decided to sleep there because why not? It was comfortable.

Since there are so many threats in daily forest life, it can be difficult to find comfort and solace in even the briefest of moments. Usually, I am on edge. I feel like I have to be prepared for anything the forest might hurl at my defenseless fuzzy fur. Practically speaking, there is no way to avoid anything the forest wants to do to you. If something in the forest wants you hurt or humiliated or nonexisted, it will likely happen.

But that does not mean you cannot at least feel safe. It is important part of living in the forest: convincing yourself that you are safe from its intrinsic dangers and thrashing. Here is a brief list of ways I make myself feel safe. Please be aware, these things might not actually make you safe in the forest, they certainly make me no safer, but they do make me feel safe (for a list of ways to actually feel safe in the forest, please refer to my guide: Here are 100 tips on how to stay safe in the forest).

How to feel safe in the forest: 

• Place soft leaves on head
• Sleep under something heavy (rock, log, etc.)
• Ask a neighbor to watch over you as you sleep and hope that you do not ask the raccoon I asked because she just bit my face and scratched me while I was asleep and that was not nice or neighborly
• Find a very nice cloud and stare at it and pretend everything else happening around you is not happening, even the clawing and biting of a vicious raccoon, why did you do this to me, raccoon? That was not nice
• Make fun sounds
• Try walking backwards so you will not need to face the horrors of the forest
• Pretend the hawk you saw was actually very friendly
• Ignore the dead frog you saw hanging on a stick, being eaten by so many ants
• Did they eat him while he was alive? There is no way to know so try not to ever think about it
• Do not think
• About
• The
• Frog
• Listen to the calming sounds the forest has to offer: the gentler breezes, the soothing crickets, the
• sound of infinite ants eating a frog as he desperately tries to escape and
• Ignore those sounds, those are bad sounds that will not help you feel safe
• Avoid shadows since there might be snakes in them
• Keep your eyes closed
• Never open them
• Ever

I am a bear.

If you would like to try being a bear, why not read some of the bear adventures available on this very site? 

For any questions or comments directed at Bear, feel free to write to him using this email: justasinglebear@gmail.com

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