Children, People, Pets
I don’t know how old I was. Eight, maybe ten. I said something to the effect of, or maybe exactly,
“Friends are better than toys”.
Bonnie Barr, a (highly) professional, accomplished woman. A Wizard of Oz person, Friend to our Family, a lady with a shit load of education, when I spoke my childhood words of wisdom about People being better than Stuff, Bonnie’s ear perked up, she smiled, she reacted with a whole bunch of praise.
“Friends are better than toys” = People are better than stuff.
Doesn’t seem like much of a quote, anything worth repeating. Can anyone make a meme out of it? Or before the days of world wide webs, a poster was THE viral thing.
“Today is the first day of the rest of your life”. Now THAT’s a good one.
My People are better than stuff words, they didn’t seem that great. Not to me.
But Bonnie loved my words. Maybe it was the way that my little guy self said them? Was I cute? Maybe I was - - - once.
My Parent’s loved that Bonnie (super smart, lots of certificates hanging on her walls) loved them, my simple words. Bonnie thought my words were poignant. And so, if the smart lady (The Wizard) thought it was good - it was good. I was special. I said something special.
Bully bully (in the positive sense) me.
^^^^^
Children and Pets, they are special, aren’t they?
Children begin as All Potential. If they have all the working parts, they can be anything. Even if parts are missing, they can still become anything. All Potential.
Pets are Forever Children. And, Pets are also, a little bit - Forever Wild. They remind us of someplace, sometime, long ago. Remember when we lived in caves and cooked every night, if we were lucky, over open flame?
Nope, I don’t remember those times either. But when I look into my Pet’s eyes, they remind me. Now I remember.
Children and Pets, they remind us, if and when we’re paying attention - of the best of who we are. Our better angels. Our inner core.
Children and Pets, they do not - lie. Children and Pets, they don’t wear masks (except once a year, maybe).
Children speak truth with reflex. Children don’t, at the beginning, they don’t play to an audience.
Pets look at us, they watch us, and with silent looks, they speak to us. They read and reflect our thoughts, moods, feelings.
^^^^^
Watch people. Watch how (big) people interact with Children and Pets.
Watch how Children and Pets interact (or not) with the big people.
You want truth?
Seek out a Child or a Pet, your own and others.
You don’t want truth? Truth - not your thing?
Avoid the Child, avoid the Pet. Steer clear.
Children, People, Pets
^^^^^
Photo:
A girl and a (yellow lab) puppy.
The photo was taken, a smidge over ten years ago, February 2014.
The dog is Bristol, the first guide dog pup that we raised. Much more than a Pet.
The Girl, her name is Avery, Granddaughter of a fellow Puppy Raiser.
I look at this photo, and I see… goodness, pure good - - - and truth.
Bristol grew up and became a Guide Dog to someone’s little girl.
Where is Avery now? We do not know.
I hope Avery was able to hang on to that - all goodness - all that joy. Girl + Dog.
Children, People, Pets