THE LOST DOGS OF LANGSTON.

Entry 21.

There are only three reasons anyone would ever dump a dog, and those are: ignorance/frustration, money, and death.

Kind of like death and taxes, only you know those are coming, so there's no ignorance involved. Frustration maybe, but no ignorance there.

I forgot where I was going with this.

Oh yes.

Ignorance/frustration is probably the main one we can handle and should focus on. If people had their options available to them, all's they'd have to do is gather up their self-esteem, provided it was intact or in any way gatherable-uppable, and make a few phone calls. Maybe even just one phone call. Can you please help me rehome this dog/cat?

ONE QUESTION. THAT'S ALL IT WOULD TAKE.

We need to get that in place. National Dog And Cat Rehoming Hotline. Something, anything. Call it whatever you want, just get it going and get the word out to people. Make this as household a word as Arby's.

Oh NOW I remember where I was REALLY going with this.

You see, no one ever dumps a dog or cat because there's something "wrong with" the animal, because THERE'S NEVER ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE ANIMAL.

The thing that might be PERCEIVED as being "wrong" with the animal is actually a LESSON for the HUMAN. A challenge of sorts. Or quite possibly a mirror for the human and a reflection of what that human is; a kind of sacred totem, if you will.

It's saying, "Use your brain, human. Figure out how to help this animal. The animal is not here not to be here."

NOT HERE NOT TO BE HERE.

They show you things about yourself that you will need to see.

Sometimes, those things are harmonious and helpful.

Sometimes they are not as much so.

For instance. Waldo was just whining outside on the porch. I go outside to check on him. He's just sitting there whining about nothing. I'm like, Waldo, your food is up here on the chest of drawers (so the dog can't get it)

(the chairs were also placed on the porch so that the dog couldn't get over there but he figured out how to slink around the porch post and get over there anyway)

(smart dog)

So. Waldo jumps up on the chest of drawers and begins to eat. A very good reflection of me. When I start to get whiny and grumpy and rant about anything around here, sometimes in my head, sometimes aloud, I know that it's either because I'm hungry or tired. I have to remind myself, eat, or take a nap, or both. Whatever it is you need, go get or do that thing now.

They'll tell ya. Every single time. Those animals will tell you who you are. And you'll have to own it. You'll have to own your own crazy and stop blaming THEM for things. It's almost NEVER their fault. I would venture to say that it's never their fault at all.

So. Sometimes you get grumpy and grumpy is like an animal, it is a signal to you that you now need to figure out what exactly you need. You might need a nap, or a bath, or food, or all three, or to call someone, or to speak to someone about something important, or to get something done that you've been putting off and that you know when you get it done you'll feel better.

So instead of ranting, what's really better to do is to sit in a corner (or on the couch, or lie down, whatever you do, and these days there are lots of ways to meditate, there's no "correct" way really) and get your enlightenment on. Calm dot com will show you how to do this. Best seventy bucks a year you'll ever spend.

Now Cinderella 2.0 is in the outer yard, I take her a hot dog and try to see if she will come into the dog barn fence. She won't. Roscoe and Little Chocolate Crosseyed Roscoe meanwhile are sparring and grumbling betwixt themselves a little ways down and towards the back of the outer yard. There is a swamp there that we could probably grow rice paddies in in a few years, if the rain patterns continue as they have recently. We will also be in a flood plain by that time and flood insurance, as they tell me, is very expensive.

Maybe the rains and storms will back down after the required number of people sacrificed to the planet via Covid-19 is achieved. Maybe ALL the crazy weather will back down...the wildfires will be reduced dramatically...Tornado Alley will cease to exist...hurricanes will fade to tropical depressions, monsoons will become a thing of the past...

...the rainforests will grow back...all these immune disorders will disappear...the frogs will be healthy again, and have the right number of legs and heads, etcetera...

...all the dogs and cats will find good homes...because all the people will have good jobs...and we'll all get to eat organic food...

...I say that now...and it might seem rather flippant of me...but doesn't it do honor, somehow, to all these people we have very tragically lost? To think that it wasn't just human error, or bad management (even though a large part of it sadly was, arguably), and that those people might be a kind of sacrifice to Earth...this great and mighty planet that we live on...it's kind of like, when a cat catches a mouse or when a hawk eats a chipmunk...it's Mother Nature, in Her full glorious bloodthirstiness, having Her due...

...the word sacrifice means "to make holy"...

Dammit Angelo would you please just shut up!!!!

No I would never tell him that to his face. But Jesus he won't stop barking at these wild dogs that are stalking around out here waiting for hamburgers and lamb stew. And chicken with gravy.

But you can see my point, I hope. Mother Nature is much more grand than we can ever really imagine. I would much rather see a bobcat eat a squirrel than run over a squirrel with my car. (Even though I know humanity is a part of Nature, it doesn't seem like a lot of our inventions really are.) It just seems like Covid-19 was a natural force too great to control, a great and formidable natural force and an honorable way, therefore, to die. Doesn't make it any less tragic, perhaps makes it even more so. Well, in effect, it is a great and natural force. It's a mighty mighty force and we are struggling to control it. We need everybody on board, or we won't get there. We need to stop killing each other and think about how to deal with Mother Nature, before She deals with us.

Get your vaccines. Adopt a dog or cat today. Own your own crazy, and don't blame it on the dog or cat you adopt. You'll feel so much better.

And remember. It's not nice to fool Mother Nature.

But actually, you're probably safe there, because you can't.