My Brother was Yogi Bear and So was I

My older brother was, quite literally, Yogi Bear.

When I was five, my brother worked for a company that did promotions for Hanna Barbera productions, the makers of Yogi Bear. My brother was Yogi and he worked alongside his best friend, who dressed as Boo Boo.

For grand openings the company would rent a helicopter. And thus Yogi and Boo Boo would arrive via helicopter at a strip mall or car dealer grand opening.

My brother told me that he got to hang from a rope ladder, just like in the cartoon, but years later he told me that wasn't true.

Mostly Yogi and Boo Boo would drive a rusty Dodge Van loaded with puppet gear. This dynamic duo blazed a trail across North America, spreading the gospel of Yogi and Boo Boo. My brother met his future wife in Canada while dressed as Yogi Bear, but I digress.

One fine summer day, these two smarter than average bears stopped at home. My brother gave me a special treat: I got to wear the Yogi Bear mascot head. It weighed more than I did and smelled a bit strange. And I couldn't see out of the oversized mesh eye openings, I was too small. Somehow I managed to hold it up long enough for my mother to snap a photo.

And so that was the day when I got to be Yogi Bear.

Hey Hey Boo Boo.