With all that's happening here and far, you'd think there'd be news more interesting than wars or calamities, or man's inhumanity to man. Some I've read could have come out of the Bible's book of Genesis, on the desecration of Sodom and Gomorrah, and I didn't linger long on election doings. My mind needs a break from them for a while.


I was sitting here this morning downing coffee and coming up zero for something to expound on, when out of habit and at least some boredom, I clicked through news stories. A young woman Colorado hiker stranded in Germany's Alps, gave new meaning to the work ethic adage: "Do what you can with what you have where you are now".

With no other way to signal for help, she peeled off her sports bra, a white one, and flew it on a mountain side supply line, hoping someone would notice. Surely they wouldn't think it her political statement, all alone up there in the Alps. Men working not far away saw the unfurling bra, and rescued her. I don't know what other lingerie this lady prefers, but I'll bet she was glad, on that fateful day, she wore white generic, and not Victoria's Secret.

That news story was kind of fun to read, especially since the lady was rescued, but I think you'll agree this next one will be told again and again; the only problem being some may not believe it.

In this part of Colorado we hear comments, perhaps in jest, that Boulderites differ from the rest of us here. I can just see the man in this story seriously trying to convince somebody of what happened to him. You may not believe it either. Shaun Boyd of CBS4 News announced that "A Boulder cyclist was injured after a run-in, literally, with a bear." The news story says a man was riding on Old Stage Road Tuesday, when suddenly a bear appeared in front of him.

The man hit the bear and ended up skidding across the road, after he and his bike flew over the bear. His injuries reportedly are cracked ribs, cuts on his head, and some road rash. This is the part of the story I liked best: The man said the bear looked at him with a stare of terror on his face, and he looked back at the bear with his own sudden fear, as they both went "aaaahhhh".

I've tried and tried, but cannot picture what terror looks like on a bear; a six foot tall, approximately five hundred pound bear. The man and the bike hit the pavement hard. Then the bear ran away after the accident, when a deer appeared. I am glad that the bear seemed o.k., since it was able to run. It wasn't its fault the man got on its trail.

The man estimates he was going 45 miles per hour. He said his bike was alright, so he got back on it, and pedaled himself to a hospital. No mention was made of witnesses to the story, except it says that the man's nephew ran to help him, so I assume the nephew was there.

As I share these stories that ended alright, I can't help thinking maybe our country isn't as doomed as depression disaster reports imply. As long as we have men and women like those in the Alps, and the bear situation, I think we will be just fine.

The woman is to be commended for using whatever she had, albeit was only a generic bra, and the man should get a medal of some kind for looking that bear in the eye. Like thousands of soldiers who guard our welfare, the men who saw the unfurling bra didn't hesitate to get involved. They just forged up those Alps and rescued that damsel.

If we would only teach our children to be as innovative and responsible to their fellow man, we might keep this country going a long, long time. I would still like to know what terror looks like on a bear, but then, maybe not.