8.27.15 Of course, he's wonderful and sweet and thoughtful, and he's totally freaking out everybody along the way.

When I was a kid, one of my favorite books was 'Mr. Bear Goes To Boston. Sometimes, I went to Boston. In those days, you had to have your little double-breasted coat, and your white gloves, those tiny useless white ankle socks, and your patent leather maryjane's. Unbelievable. But at least all that dumb crisp came with food and shelter , more than other kids get.

I loved this book. You see, there's a bear that lives in the Maine woods, and he wakes up one day and he decides he wants to go to Boston.

Of course, in those days, every protagonist was a male. Something I never even thought about until I was 18.

Anyway, Mr. Bear goes and finds his Boston bag, a particular sort of leather traveling back with a handle, and then he goes down to the train station, gets a ticket, and goes on the train to Boston.

Of course, he's wonderful and sweet and thoughtful, and he's totally freaking out everybody along the way. Without ever realizing what they're afraid of. Certainly not thinking it's him.

He goes along the Paul Revere Trail and climbs the North Church tower, looking out over the city. As a child, I was so fascinated by the fact that he was not scary, that everyone who encountered him was scared to death. And that he didn't realize what they were afraid of, when really, they were afraid of him.

I remember sitting and reading this book over and over again, and trying to understand how somebody not scary could appear scary. How people could be so afraid of you without you having any idea of it at all. All sorts of confusing things seemed possible, if these things could be. And how all he really wanted was just to go take a trip to Boston.
So much complexity. So many mysteries.

But, he had a really good time. Sightseeing in Boston. He slept in the Boston Public Garden, with the swan boats. On the little island, that if you're a kid and you go to the public garden, you can see.

When he went to sleep, he put on the long white nightshirt, and brushed his bear teeth, and put a night cap on his head, and then curled upend fell asleep.

The next morning when he woke, there were catchers with tiny nets, standing near him, wondering what to do. He kind of freaked out, himself. He though that really everyone was terribly impolite. He stuffed all his belongings back into his Boston bag, and hightailed it back to Maine.

Seems like we still have all the same old problems now. With a few sweet creatures and humans , living here and there, in between .