bark bark, woof woof

Since being with Mr Right, I've welcomed a new member to our little family.  A cute and cuddly little havanese dog named Beaner!  I used to have a dog.  His name was Charlie.  I forgot how good an animal can make you feel.

We got my Charlie, a little cairn terrier (think Toto on Wizard of Oz) when my son was just over the age of two.  Charlie was the gentlest, kindest and cutest animal around.  He was my son's best friend and used to take care of him.  He would protect him, play with him, sleep with him and yes even warn us, his parents, when our son got into trouble.

I remember once, my late husband and I were watching tv, our son was in bed.  We had just taken down the security gate from the side of his bed but had put pillows on the floor in case he fell out of bed.  Unbeknownst to us, he did fall out.  My Charlie went nuts.  He was running back and forth from my son's room to the living room, trying to get our attention but not barking so that he wouldn't wake up his little master.  We soon got the message that something was up and we were able to put our boy back in bed.

Charlie and my son would chase each other in the house.  When my son fell, the dog would stop in his tracks, run to him, make sure he was ok and lick him.  If my son was crying, Charlie would start crying too and run to warn me.....

The love of a boy and his dog..... how amazing.  I was always thankful for my Charlie for taking such good care and for being a friend to my son.  Life's circumstances made it so that my son does not have any siblings, therefore, the dog was a playmate for him.

Unfortunately, Charlie died when he was 8 years old.  My son was 10.  Charlie had cancer and was suffering so we had to put him down.  As you can very well imagine, we were all very sad by this loss.  Charlie's death proved to be a life lesson for my son.  A lesson that life is not forever and that all living things die.  It's a very hard lesson to learn at such a young age, but my son already knew about loss and death when his father passed away a few years later.....

Back to our four legged friends though.  Life goes on and we never did get another dog but now, in comes Beaner.

This friendly, zealous, exuberant, gentle and loving dog is a great add on to our lives.  When he is here, he is always with my son.  In fact, it is quite funny to see the dog get so attached to my son that he hardly reacts anymore when his master, Mr Right, shows up at the door.

Beaner is making me notice the other dogs in the neighbourhood.  Walking a dog sure makes for a different experience, one that I had forgotten.  I suddenly notice and am now making friends with the other dogs. 

There is Candy and Buster, Ralph and Molson, Sandy and Jack.  Also, I can't forget the big horse of a dog down the street that scares me everytime he runs toward me, the big bull dog who looks like an out of breath tank, the little chihuaha that barks like it's 200 lbs and of course my little Beaner taking it all in. 

Dogs dogs everywhere.  Those are just the ones I remember off the top of my head.  A funny breed those animals.  They will do anything to protect us, will say hi in a friendly manner (ok, sniffing each other out is not necessarily friendly to us but it is to them), will attack if feeling threaten and their tails will be wagging if all is good. 

They make me wonder about our lives as human beings.  We are not that far apart when you think about it.  We as humans will also protect our families and loved ones.  We will react badly if attacked and we will usually be happy to meet new people.

I think the saddest fact of this story is that I'm now realizing that I know the dogs in my neighbourhood better than I know the humans.  Don't get me wrong, I know some of my neighbours but most of them I don't.

It's not because we are anti social, it is mostly the lack of time.  Sure, I say hi and smile to the neighbour down the street, but we will not stop and chat.  Whereas the dogs will insist on sniffing each other out and saying hi to each other. 

Perhaps we need to start insisting a bit more as humans and take the time to do the small talk over the weather and the neighbourhood.  Not everyone will receive it well but I think most will. 

Yes, the dogs in my life are making me smile.  The crazy antics they go through to get my attention while walking my own little dog.  The barking and woofing, the dancing and jumping up and down, the yelps and the tail wagging; all of it just to get my attention and to say hi to my Beaner.

We, as humans, have lots to learn from our four legged friends the dogs.....

Just something to think about......

Woof woof, bark bark, (signed yours truly in dog language....ha!).

SSW :)

Greed, revenge and dignity

'There's a lady who's sure, all that glitters is gold, and she's buying a stairway to heaven'. 

Stairway to Heaven, sang and made very popular by the group Led Zepplin, hit the lyrics right on the head when expressing the definition of greed.

Robert Plant, lead singer and composer explains the lyrics: "it was some cynical aside about a woman getting everything she wanted all the time without giving back any thought or consideration....'

It is unfortunate to meet or to hear about such greedy people, the ones that want everything for themselves.  The ones that never have enough and always want more.

I heard a saying a while back that went like this 'some people are so poor that all they have is money.'  How sad. 

Of course money is important but what can it provide apart from the necessities of life?  In our society, we want it all, the big house, the cars (notice the plural), the cottage, the toys and basically everything that we want.

Oh, don't get me wrong, I'm not knocking it one bit.  If you can afford it and if it's important to you and if everything else in your life is balanced, why not go for those things?  The problem does not lie here.....

No, the problem lies when we try to acquire these at the expense of important things.  At the expense of time spent from family and loved ones, at the expense of our physical health and also at the expense of our mental health.  What is the point I ask?

The worst type though is to try to acquire at the expense of others. 
This is without a doubt the lowest of the low.  I'm talking about the thieves, the ones that should be working but are not, the ones that are taking advantage of other people's goodness and yes, even those that are taking advantage of the law. 

I've learnt recently that the law has nothing to do with morals.  That if someone qualifies to receive a certain sum of money, even if it is known that this money will be wasted on drugs and alcohol, that it is ok; that the judges really don't care what you do with the money.  If you are entitled to it, it's yours.....even if it will hurt someone else by receiving it.....

There is a link between that amount of greed and hurting others to attracting revenge and hate from the people around you though.  I'm talking about deep rooted hurt.  A pain so bad that the person on the other end of the spectrum will feel the effect of that greed forever.  The selfish acts of someone wanting everything for themselves no matter what or whom it destroys. 

Me, myself and I.....the important trilogy that can not only destroy yourself, but impair the others around you.

Revenge is obviously not the answer.  It is normal to feel the need for retribution though, to want to do something about this injustice but it is not the answer.

You see, these type of people, the greedy ones that will stop at nothing to acquire material goods, are usually left to be alone.  Alone with their conscience, alone with their thoughts and mostly, just alone....

You might say that these types of people don't care, that they don't have a conscience.  Perhaps you are right, but I'm willing to guarantee that at one point in their life, even if it is at the time of their last breath, that these selfish and greedy people will get a thought about their actions and about their life.

Dignity is not engrained in a lot of us.  A person who has dignity, that takes a high road and that overlooks other people's greed is indeed the winner in most situations.  However, dignity is not at the top of your list if you are the person that is being hurt by the other's greed......

No, it's not a high road that you want to take but in the end, you have to be able to live with yourself.

I think it comes down to being able to look at yourself in the mirror.  To be honest with the people you love and especially to be truthful to yourself.

Money is important, but it is not the most important thing in life.  We all work hard for our money, but if we make ourselves sick over it, alienate others around us or worst don't do any good whatsoever with it, what is the point?

Greed, revenge and dignity...which road does one take?

SSW :)

'Wall Street is greedy, reckless and they operate illegally.  That's fine.  But what do you do?  Bernie Sanders