I live about 3 miles from campus, in Lemont. We’re in a small neighborhood on the side of Mount Nittany. There are woods and a creek below us and the Mount Nittany Conservation area above us, so we always have lots of wildlife making their way through. There’s always deer, rabbits, squirrels, skunks, possums, groundhogs and the occasional fox. This spring, there’s also been a family of bears: a mama, an adolescent and two cubs. In previous years, we would hear of occasional bear sightings and garbage cans raided. This year, though, our street’s garbage cans have been hit many times and I actually saw all four bears myself (at a safe distance) as I walked my dogs one afternoon.
Ironically, in early March, just post-hibernation, someone in our neighborhood created a Facebook group for Lemont bear sightings. This has been a game-changer. Now, instead of the occasional chat with a neighbor about bears destroying bird feeders or garbage cans and rumors of bears strolling through a yard, there are daily, (and sometimes hourly) updates online. People post dates and times along with photos, videos, and doorbell camera images. It is both silly and wise that now, before I walk the dogs in the early morning or the late afternoon, I check to see if anyone has reported the bears on my route. I am always both a bit eager to see them and really hoping that they will not be around when I want to walk.
The thing is, other than a few more garbage can feasts at my nearest neighbors’ houses, all this bear activity is completely normal. They have always been here, strolling through yards (my own included), eating from plantings, bird feeders and garbage cans and making their way up into the more isolated parts of Mount Nittany. The only thing that is really different this year is that I know more about the bears. Bears have lived in and around our community for as long as I have been here, whether I have seen them or not.
So, what’s the point of telling you this? These bears and my new knowledge of their whereabouts have led me to think about the wide variety of things that happen just outside my awareness. Just as I was blissfully ignorant that the bears were in the park when I walked by the other afternoon, I am unaware of so much that happens in the lives of the people I encounter. People experience any number of surprises, losses, disappointments, accomplishments, and mistakes that I may know nothing about. I’m grateful for the reminder that all people are going through challenges and everyone would benefit from my compassion, whether I know what they are dealing with or not. It’s one of the ways we can love our neighbor.
Peace, my friends.