Companionship

I took the weekend off and went to the Arctic Circle. I was walking on some ice when it broke off and floated out into the Arctic Sea. I felt like an idiot floating out in the middle of nowhere on some ice. I think it’s because I felt helpless and vulnerable. Those are pretty awkward feelings. But then I felt like a triple idiot when I started to cry because my tears turned into icicles.

I think I was about to totally lose it when a polar bear swam by me and my floating iceberg raft and said, “What’s wrong?”

I said, “I’m supposed to be on vacation and everything’s turning to crap!”

The polar bear said, “I felt that way last year when I took a trip to Bangor, Maine and was caught and put on display in a cage at the Bangor Zoo. At least you don’t have people constantly snapping your photo.”

I said, “How did you get out of there?”

The polar bear said, “There were budget cuts. It turns out my cage cost the most to maintain because of refrigerating such a large amount of water. So they set me free.”

I began to feel better. It helps to have someone to share life’s situations with.