A Single Act of Selflessness - Volume 1
Justin Utherman
A Single Act of Selflessness – Volume 1
by:
Justin Utherman
Copyright © 2026 by Justin Utherman
This is a work of fiction. All the characters and events portrayed in this book are fictional, and any resemblance to real people or incidents is purely coincidental.
All
rights reserved by the author, including the right to reproduce this
book or portions thereof in any form.
Product names,
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property of their respective trademark holders. Unless otherwise
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regarded as affecting the validity of any trademark, service mark, or
registered trademark.
However,
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product placements via email.
Cover Art
The
background image is ‘BEAR’, an AI generated artwork by Justin
Utherman. The editing and adding of text to the photo is by Justin
Utherman.
All
rights to the cover image are reserved by the copyright owner Justin
Utherman.
September 2026 Edition
A Single Act of Selflessness – Volume 1
by: Justin Utherman
All over the interwebs nowadays you can find crazy assed women “Choosing the Bear”.
It’s too bad they are so mentally deficient and lacking in intelligence, the world needs more smart women to survive.
Perhaps men need the ability to make sure they don’t make bad choices.
* * * * * * * *
The pain returned with a vengeance, and I squeezed my eyes shut and tried to silence a scream.
When I opened my eyes and looked over to ask him for help, he was gone.
Not that I cared at the moment. I could hardly breathe again, and my head was splitting and pounding.
The machines had started beeping wildly, and I was in pure agony.
Several nurses rushed in. And then things REALLY got busy...
I blacked out again.
The next thing I knew, I was kinda 'floating' above my bed and watching the proceedings as they furiously worked on me.
It was actually kinda interesting, in a macabre way. And at the same time pretty unsettling and gruesome due to all my injuries that I had not been able to see before.
A very pretty little Alaskan Native nurse was compressing my chest and talking to me. Begging me to hang on and wake up. Encouraging me to stay with her.
They all worked furiously.
After a few minutes the lady doctor tapped the nurse on the shoulder and shook her head.
The nurse slowed and then stopped her efforts, almost hesitantly, like she really didn’t want to. She stepped back and looked to the ceiling with closed eyes. There were tears flowing down her face.
There was a flash of bright light…
...Then my world changed.
For the better?
We shall see.
A Single Act of Selflessness - Volume 1
by: Justin Utherman
Chapter 1
I remember the day well. It was July 14th, 2024.
The sunny Alaskan day was breezy and 72 degrees, and I was enjoying myself just riding around the countryside and taking in the beauty of this part of the State.
It was my Second time being in our largest State... technically... so I was pretty stoked.
At 59, I wasn't in the best shape, or health, and this trip was a 'bucket list' for me.
My name is Joseph White... 'Joey' to those who know me even slightly well... and I'm from a little college town in Mississippi.
I call myself 'semi-retired'. But all that means is that I only have Social Insecurity to rely on if and when I am able to fully retire. So I guess my long term plan is to work at least part time for a while… Likely as not, right up until noon on the day of my funeral.
I had currently taken my Two-weeks paid vacation from my Security Supervisor job, used my soon-expiring air miles from a previous job, and flown up here to Alaska for Ten days of exciting and glorious R&R.
Soothing time away from the ‘Twenty-somethings’ who didn't show up for work when hired, made lame excuses for being late every other shift, and all the lowlife scumbags who steal anything that's not nailed down. And of course the people who ALWAYS thought that we didn't have the right or authority to stop them from doing it.
But the thing that I believe I was looking forward to the most, perhaps, was being able to actually sleep for more than Four hours a day on Five days out of the Seven.
(If anyone ever asks you to take a job as as supervisor… RUN! It’s nothing but stress and numerous uncompensated hours of work.)
My last trip to the Alaska was in 1998, and was decidedly lackluster.
I was a truck driver, delivering oilfield equipment at the time. My boss and I boarded a 'barge' in Seattle, with our trucks and trailers, on a Tuesday morning. We drove off onto an Alaskan port dock on Thursday morning, dropped the trailers, and drove right back onto the barge.
We were back in Seattle by the wee hours of Saturday morning.
Not a remarkable visit, but enough to ‘technically’ cross Alaska off my 'visited States' bucket list… Leaving only Hawaii.
My only regret was that on this current trip I had opted to not endure all the TSA hassle, and had left my sidearm at home.
For this trip, I'd have LOVED to have my Ruger .454 Casull on my hip, since I was exploring a lot of the 'back country' alone.
But my reasoning was less about legalities, as Alaska was still seemingly immune to the current political influences of the raving lunatics who were in charge for the past 4 years. My decision was based on the reality that my carry on ‘backpack’ was stuffed to the gills with ‘allowable’ items, and my Two checked bags were both already 49 pounds each with just the clothing and essential gear that I needed for my adventure.
So
I left out the additional 10 pounds of armament, ammo, and
accessories.
A mistake that would bite me later. Literally.
The violation of my 'always armed rule', would prove to be the worst mistake of my life… Or maybe it was perhaps the best.
* * * * * * * *
Five days into my adventure I had stopped at a small park near a little river where other visitors and tour buses frequented so everyone could take pictures of the numerous big brown bears catching fish and such.
It got pretty busy on some days, especially when the bugs and mosquitoes were light.
Unfortunately, this was one of those days.
People were EVERYWHERE. Cars, trucks, buses, bicycles, motorcycles... and BEARS.
Lots and LOTS of bears.
I wheeled my rented Honda 750 Shadow Aero into the lot, and actually got a parking spot very close to the long wood and metal foot bridge that spanned the river.
As I shut down the engine and sat there a moment just taking in the view of the river, I noticed a VERY large bear walking up the path on the other side of the river, toward the other end of the bridge.
A quick scan of the bridge revealed that about Eight grownup couples, a couple teen boys, and a lone small girl of about 8 or 10 years old were all standing along the rails. They were taking pictures and watching the river scenery intently.
I thought, “Surely the bear won't try to cross the bridge.”
I was WRONG.
It kept right on walking. Passing several people on the opposite end who were smart enough to just hug the rail and remain stone still, so they were 'almost' ignored completely.
As the bear came within 25 yards or so of the little girl, who was within 20 feet of 'my' end, I was already off the bike and moving cautiously and swiftly toward where the little girl was now standing.
My intent was to perhaps move to the rocky river bank below and pull her over the railing, if I could This wasn’t a bad idea since the bridge was still low to the ground and over solid and level earth at that point.
“Kirsten! Be still! Just freeze and don't move baby!” Her mother (I assume) was yelling.
I was fighting with the 'rented' helmet chin strap as I moved that direction, since mine had a quick release and I wasn't used to not having it. I was losing that battle, so I just left it on.
I had made it almost to the end of the bridge when the smirking, illiterate, moron acted. He was about 18-years-old.
He elbowed his equally idiotic friend… Then nodded toward the bear.
I thought, ‘Oh my god... No!!!’ as the events quickly unfolded, but passed in slow motion to me.
I screamed “NO!” at him, but the idiot friend didn’t hear me. He just kinda stepped forward and SLAPPED the bear on the rump as it walked past.
Quick as a flash, the bear whirled and swiped a huge paw through the air, knocking ‘Moron’ over the railing.
His buddy, ‘Idiot’, just jumped off the bridge on his own.
Now enraged, scared, or both, the bear made a bee line for the little girl, who was now squealing and running for my end of the bridge.
I summoned all my energy, got my old muscles and bones in motion, and ran toward the girl. Hoping to beat the bruin.
I got to her first, but I realized that I couldn’t snatch her and outrun the animal. Instead I just blew by her (figuratively) and kept running for the couple yards (at most) straight int the bear.
I was yelling like crazy and waving my arms over my head.
The bruin wasn’t scared by my feeble efforts, and didn’t even pause.
It was like, in my best imagined comparison, being hit by a speeding dump truck.
All the air whooshed out of my lungs as he collided with me, and I was flung backwards.
The next few minutes were a foggy blur.