Touching Spirit Bear

 Last night I was wasting time on YouTube.  Offspring #2 told me about this funny botanist from Chicago who has his own You Tube channel. Just look up "Crime Pays But Botany Doesn't" to see him in action. This guy is hilarious and extremely vulgar. To his credit, he seems kind and gentle and truly enthused about our planet and nature. I think he is funny but once I had to turn him off because his vulgarity went over the line. This botanist with the Chicago accent has a ruler tattooed on his finger which is a brilliant idea.  Anyway, another video popped up and it was this guy who is trying to introduce himself and say a few words to the camera but he can't because his pet bear is mauling him too hard. The man scolds his pet bear but then he cuddles up to the bear so the bear cuddles him back. I watched it for about two minutes before deciding this man was on the lunatic fringe. Imagine my surprise when I come to the end of a great book, Touching Spirit Bear by Ben Mikaelsen. The very last page of the book has a picture of the author. Lo and behold, I see the lunatic with the pet bear!  The author owns a pet bear. In his defense, he rescued the bear after a previous owner declawed it. The bear couldn't return to the wild without claws to defend itself or to eat. Zoos wouldn't take a clawless bear. His bear would have been euthanized if he hadn't taken it. The author lives in Montana. The story he wrote starts out in Minneapolis. A juvenile delinquent named Cole is in trouble for beating up a classmate. Cole is not repentant and seems bound to be tried as an adult. His parole officer is a terrific man who connects with Cole because he was the same way when he was sixteen. The parole officer convinces Cole to go for the restorative justice route instead of jail. After reading this book I could tell that Ben Mikaelsen was also a juvenile delinquent and at the end of the book he admits this is true. He had a tough childhood just like Cole. I loved the story. For Cole to heal he has to get rid of his anger. One technique is to carry a large rock, a rock the size of a bowling ball, up a steep, rocky slope. As you carry the rock up you imagine carrying your ancestors up the hill. Once the rock is at the top of the slope, gently put the rock down on the ground while thanking your ancestors. Now imagine that rock is your anger and kick that baby down the hill and watch it roll. Another technique to get rid of anger is to exercise. I am very familiar with that technique. My dog, Ruby, knew I was angry when we went on fast walks. That poor dog, I walked her mile after mile but she never complained. A third technique to rid yourself of anger is to sit in a freezing cold lake first thing in the morning until you relax. No way am I doing that! I'd rather be angry than freeze myself in a cold lake. I am a bigger fan of restorative justice because of this book.