I overheard Mom talking one day on the phone to her friend Bessie. She told Bessie that she was cutting back on expenses because of The Bear Market. She said the market was eating them alive and she needed to save their Nest Egg.

The next day mom asked me if I wanted to go shopping with her. All I could picture in my head was bears. Bears at the checkout counter. Bears behind the deli bar giving out free samples of honey. Bears shopping for underwear. Bears everywhere—even old grizzly bear...