Walking the Bear

I was out walking the bear Saturday night. 'Walking the bear' is what I call those long, aimless walks I take when restless. The phrase comes from something a good friend of mine said to me:

"It's like I have this bear inside me. He can stay put for a while, hibernate for a while. But sooner or later, life thaws and I gotta move again. I know you get what I mean, Hove."

While out walking the bear, I spotted something on the sidewalk. A child had scrawled LEAVE in big, block letters. I told my friend, Josh, about it at the bar later.

"Why would a kid write 'leave' on the sidewalk?"

I smiled. "I don't know. Maybe to tell me what to do next."