Storytime: Mom’s Confession
Mom regretted it her whole life. She mentioned it often as she grew older, sometimes once per day. She would shake her head.
“So stupid,” she would say. “I don’t know what I was thinking.”
I, like all bad children, thought it was hilarious. I told her it was fine, but she didn’t agree. She couldn’t forgive herself by being so stupid.
I had not thought of it since she died, but the other day I was back where it happened and saw a historical marker with a photo of it. I started howling with laughter.
Our town had had a small private zoo next to Andersen’s Pea Soup Restaurant, a famous local tourist trap. Mom and I went to the grand opening and the person giving the tour asked for children volunteers. I waved my hand and was chosen and lined up with the other kids.
We had volunteered, we found out, to hold a fig newton in our teeth while a large bear named Sweet William, reclining in a bathtub, gently snatched them from us with his big snout.
This is a photo of one of those children:
Once we all got done, the smiling lady tour guide told us the bear was the only animal in the park who had ever attacked anyone. Mom never got over it.
No children nor animals were injured in the creation of this blog post.
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Suebob's Red Stapler 
Great story Sue!
On Thu, Jun 11, 2020 at 9:30 PM Suebob’s Red Stapler wrote:
> Suebob posted: “Mom regretted it her whole life. She mentioned it often as > she grew older, sometimes once per day. She would shake her head. “So > stupid,” she would say. “I don’t know what I was thinking. I, like all bad > children, thought it was hilarious. I told her it” >
Thank you, Gail.
Your Mom was so sweet! I can’t believe the zoo would endanger people’s lives like that. Especially
Children! I remember Andersen’s! My Parents love
Split pea soup!
Yes, she was. Her heart broke for every time one of her kids was hurt. Things she mentioned late in life – putting a lotion on my chapped baby skin that made me cry; spanking my sister once…
I guess times were different back then. Child-mauling bear? No big deal!
A wonderful lady..very wise..very smart..loving..caring..I will always admire Pauline..love her with all my heart.
On Fri, Jun 12, 2020, 12:30 AM Suebob’s Red Stapler wrote:
> Suebob posted: “Mom regretted it her whole life. She mentioned it often as > she grew older, sometimes once per day. She would shake her head. “So > stupid,” she would say. “I don’t know what I was thinking. I, like all bad > children, thought it was hilarious. I told her it” >
She loved you so much, too. You had such a long, beautiful friendship. You were her bonus daughter.
Hahaha.
If I were your mother, with all of the wrath of a momma bear I would have tore into that woman and the owner of the zoo.
I wonder if your momma felt that guilt instead of feeling the justifiable rage she could have directed to those who made a buck off a potentially lethal situation. Cause you know, that’s how us girls were raised to do..
Yes, probably. I think back then, it was just like “Oh, these zoo people are the authorities on this…” and the bear certainly loved his fig newtons.
Well, hopefully the woman was just teasing. I got to pet a cheetah at Marine World when I was a kid, and it liked my hand and purred. The naturalist said, “that’s the same tongue they use to lick the meat off of bones.” Maybe similar humor?