B - Bear

Bear: thing, animal

I still have a blue Teddy Bear that I got at Valley Fair when I was 4 years old. It's been with me pretty much since then. It's name is "Valley Fair Bear," which is very concrete and literal. It is sitting on my bed right now.

"Bear" is also currently my favorite sign in American Sign Language.

In 7th or 8th grade I was playing Hide and Seek in Hartley Field just behind my house. I was hiding, and my friends could clearly see me but were not chasing me. It turned out that there was a black bear meandering around just across a very shallow ravine and tiny creek from where I was hiding. Probably less than 50 yards away. The bear did not eat me.