Tuesday; September 1
Have you ever given much
thought to why folks like their pets more than other people? Okay, I am going to stop here for a second
because I have been doing public presentations long enough to know that,
periodically, you are going to tread on dangerous ground – and I’ll own it –
this is going to be one of those times. What
I ask from you is that you just hear me out.
Also, I want to go on record that I am not anti-pet … in fact, I have
had several very beloved family pets in my lifetime. However, our society has tended to have gotten
things a bit backward. We love our pets
and sometimes we struggle to like people.
As I considered this I have come to realize the issue isn’t “actions”,
it’s “attitudes”. It’s not that our pets
are perfect – I mean, let’s face it – they do inappropriate things in public, destroy our property and
bring us gifts we don’t really want.
However, they typically show an appreciation for us and seem to want to be
around us … and that is more than we can say about some people! What draws us to critters is an acceptance
that we don’t always get from (or show to) fellow human beings. Being around people who are filled with
advice can hurt while sitting in the quiet with a pet can heal.
I am not advocating that
we get rid of our pets, what I do believe is that need to do a better job with
people. Let’s learn to tolerate each
other and be kinder to one another. When
we do this we can not only restore balance to the world, we will also make a
lot more two-legged friendships.
Think About It!