"Of
all God's creatures, there is only one that cannot be made
the slave of the lash. That one is the Cat. If man could
be crossed with the Cat it would improve man but it would
deteriorate the Cat."
Mark Twain |
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Every day, 19 species of
life disappear from the face of this Planet. We, presently a surviving
species, have a responsibility to answer for this tragedy.  The
human animal does not rule this earth, nor do we own any part of it. We
are simply the keepers of it until the next generation take charge. Who,
you must ask yourself, is taking the watch today. Don't you think it's
your turn?
We have all heard the phrase; "Today is the first
day of the rest of your life." Perhaps it's time we all acted
upon that premise. The time has come to answer for our actions. And to
whom do we answer? Look around you. Every newspaper article you read on
cruelty, every news story you hear about the child or animal or any
living being for that matter, being abused, neglected, and killed
affects the person you are. Nature reaps her own fury against us, and
people respond in the best possible ways to help out the victims of
disasters. What about the disasters of our own humanity, or  rather
inhumanity?
Where do we start? Let's start with the animals. I honestly
believe that is a good beginning. Don't you just adore a cuddly Kitten
or Puppy? There is so much more to it than that! Like babies, the
cuteness fades and sometimes it's not so easy taking care of something
that doesn't talk back and demand your attention. A pet can't remind you
that your schedule hasn't allowed time for them today. Perhaps a little
temperamental behavior or possibly some destruction in your home,
something you can easily respond to with .."Bad! No! Bad!"
Stop for five seconds...
Look around....Who is Bad? No living creature is
intentionally "Bad". Take some time and research your own
behavior. We are all guilty of being self-serving at times, but don't
search for errors in someone else's personality to explain your own
shortcomings. When the people of this earth finally admit to the
possibility that a little bit more could have been done, or given, or
said, I would say we made progress.
 Nineteen
species are gone in the time it took me to write this article. I
will miss them. This earth is limited in what it can do to protect
itself. We as one of the species upon it must act immediately and
diligently to preserve the gifts we were given to guard. Please
don't go to sleep tonight until you have made some kind of
difference.
Let
your responsibility become a part of you. Be aware of every
particle you breathe and know where it came from and where it's
going. Proclaiming your awareness by hugging trees is not reality.
Did I do all that I could with what I was given...THAT is reality.
Pick up a piece of trash and throw it away.
Adopt
a pet from a local Animal Shelter instead of buying a "Top of
the Line" purebred. Laugh the next time a child in a store is
being silly, trying to get attention. Make sure they see you
laugh! Feed some birds in your back yard.
Pick
some flowers to give to someone you've seen everyday. Stop by a
nursing home on your way home someday, and just listen. Become a
part of this Earth, not just a bystander. We were given a soul to
give away so let's start giving. |
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 Children
Not all of us have them, I for one would make a lousy
parent. They are still out there, and they are people. Living on this
planet the same as any adult. Look at them. We are killing and maiming
our children! Are you aware of the statistics? Of course you are! Any
one that communicates outside of the bathroom is! You would have to live
in a cave not to be aware of the critical situation in this world today.
Children are starving, they are beaten, kept in closets,
neglected and killed for whatever weird reasons the abusers can come up
with. And we shake our heads and decide the right punishment for the
criminals involved then flip to page two.
Let's stop here for a
moment. What have I done to reach out today? Got a few extra bucks this
month? How about Covenant House? Feed the Children or Habitat for
Humanity? Ten dollars can help. That's not even the price of a Pizza!
Just a one time gift is better than nothing. No bucks? Okay, how about
time? Volunteer at a Day Care, visit the children's wing of your local
Hospital, help out as a playground monitor. No bucks & no time? Then
try donating some old books to a local Care Center or making your yard
"Kid Friendly" by planting flowers for them to pick or a path
to shortcut through. Watch around your neighborhood for Kids that might
get into trouble because someone else is too busy to watch them. Take
that extra step, even if it's risky. Be nice to Kids. They're good
people!
 Filth.
Humans' have an incredible knack to exist in filth. They
pretend it isn't there, and thus, denying it's existence makes it not
so! Poof! Do you look around you when you walk? When was the last time
you bent down and picked up someone's discarded cup or wad of paper?
Your own home may be sanitized beyond belief, but what is the world, if
not our home? If each and every one of us picked up a piece of someone's
trash every day, and did this for a year, don't you think it would
improve our surroundings just a little?
 The
Elderly
A group of people we will all be a part of someday. Do you
know how pleasant it is to spend an afternoon listening to stories about
times past? Sharing history with those who were a part of it? Go out and
buy a nice tea pitcher and meet someone new today. A very sweet
wonderful lady told me that years ago. She's gone now and I cried
terribly when she died, until her friend dropped by and I knew the chain
went on forever. Take some time, meet a friend. It's contagious.
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