Bear Spray Deposit

As I was entering the Cody/Yellowstone airport the other day, I saw a large wooden box. I found the words printed on the side of this box to be unusual….”BEAR SPRAY DEPOSIT”.  I’ve been fortunate to enter many airports in my day, but was the first time that I saw a Bear Spray Deposit Box.

Bears are serious business in the Yellowstone area. There are places outside of Cody where parents wait with their children at school bus stops to protect them from grizzlies. In fact, the playground at the Wapati elementary school is surrounded by a 10 foot heavily wired fence. I’ve seen prison yards with less fencing. However, in this case, the fence is not to keep the children from escaping but to provide protection from the grizzlies.

So if one is roaming the mountainsides of Yellowstone country, carrying a can of bear spray makes sense. However, the FAA is there to remind folks that there are no grizzles allowed on passenger planes and therefore, carrying bear spray is no longer necessary.

The Bear Spray Deposit Box was a reminder of another question that I will ask myself….”What do I need to discard?”  This is not my favorite question. You see, I really like to hold on to things. Lots of things. Many way past their expiration dates. Way past their usefulness. This applies to both things and to thoughts.

I have been systematically going through my house and tossing or donating things that I no longer need (or maybe never did need). This includes clothes, extra bicycles, craft supplies, obsolete electronics. Lots of stuff. As I have reduced the clutter of my physical surroundings, I have noticed that it has been easier to relax in my home. What a concept!

I have also been on a journey to discard old thoughts that are no longer necessary (and maybe never were necessary). Thoughts like “I am not good enough” and “What will people think?” These thoughts are as useful as bear spray in my Chicago suburb. Discarding such thoughts has made it easier to relax in myself. An even better concept!

So, my Faithful Readers, I invite you to see what things and thoughts you might discard. I invite you to ditch the bear spray.