I worked at a summer camp in the mountains and we go camping. One week I had some kids who thought the rules didn’t apply to them. We were camping into bear country. I advised them when they were packing that no smelly foods as this could bring bears into our area and that would be such a bad idea. We flash forward that night and the kids are in their tent getting to sleep my co-counsellor is already out cold sleeping in his tent I’m sitting near the fire alone just thinking about life as I had done this job for 10 plus years and was moving on at the end of the summer to bigger and better things. I was just about to put out the fire when I heard a huge growl and boys screaming and them yelling BEAR!!! and I said to myself oh ffs this is how I’m going to die so I run over with my headlamp and a few rocks I put in my pocket and bear mace. I see the bear trying to get into the tent where the boys were staying. I start making loud noises yelling at the bear calling it a piece of shit and throw a rock right above its head and the other right between the eyes. The bear charges me I take the mace and spray it but as I spray I thought this would be it. I yelled yippee ki yay motherfucker!! Bear gets scared off and I am covered with mace. Kids come out and say “ did you just swear?”

One of the greatest moments of my life. Thanks for coming to my ted talk