1. His name is Bear. (Not literally, but still…)
How did you get the nickname Bear?
I was christened Eddie, that became Teddy, and that became Bear! Not very butch but there we go! I used to find it a bit awkward as a kid but it could have been worse, and since then it has stuck, from Seargant-Majors in the Army to bank managers, I have ever since been ‘Bear’.
2. He named one of his sons Huckleberry. (Oh, you want more? His other son’s name is Marmaduke. I know, right?)
3. Because of, amongst many other things, he did this:
4. Because he says this: My favourite quote is this: ‘Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving in an attractive well preserved body; rather to skid in sideways, body thoroughly worn out, covered in scars and screaming “yahoo! What a ride!”
5. Because he is real, in every regard.
6. Men’s Journal article. Read it.
7. Because, in case you are not convinced:
8. Because in addition to being a badass, he does crazy things so he can donate to charities.
9. Because I’m in Boulder, CO right now and after making the most pedestrian hike up a relatively tiny mountain, my lungs were on fire, my legs were jelly and my head was spinning (I was also vaguely concerned that a mountain lion might join the party). That says a great deal more about me than anyone or anything else (being out of shape, being in high altitude–like I’m not gonna milk that for all it’s worth–and not being a rugged outdoorsman by nature), but it puts some of the stuff Bear does in perspective. There is a reason people admire a person who can make do in the wilderness and find ways to adapt, because it not only speaks to primal, more old fashioned survival techniques; but is a bizarre sort of antidote for the soft, cerebral and often soulless times we live in. Put more bluntly: I look in the mirror, and I do not see Bear Grylls.
10. Because he does things like this so we don’t have to:
Look: I’m not in love with Bear Grylls, as far as I know. But I love the man, unabashedly. His spirit, his philosophy of life, his empowering sense of self, his alpha-male with a heart vibe, his manliness (yes, I said it, and I am in awe of it). And mostly, because he brings me pleasure by the simple fact that he is doing as Thoreau admonished and sucking the marrow out of life. If you are not enervated, and inspired, by his example, it’s time to ask some complicated questions.
