Saturday, April 26, 2014

Who are you? (#atozchallenge)

A parent. Someone's child. Someone's friend. Married, single. A person of a certain sex. A graduate of a certain college. An employee at a certain firm. A performer of a certain job, certain sports, certain hobbies. A name. A family name.

Is that who you are? If these are just labels, then who are you? Are we what we do or what we like, even who we love? Or is there something more, something deeper?

And is that a fixed reality? Does that change?

If there is a constant with rescue dogs, it's change. Not just because of the lifestyle--dogs coming and going, new rescues, new adoptions--or because of their health issues--a liver enzyme acting up; an unheralded, and completely unreasonable, bout of diarrhea; sterilization complications--but because of the dogs themselves.

A dog that's taken in off the street has, suddenly, a lot to adapt to. A rescued dog is on the verge of transformation.

Who will he become? Will he remain fearful? Will he take over the pack? Will he be a mama's boy that doesn't leave his human's side unless compelled by chains and twenty-foot walls? Or will he find untapped sources of inner peace and become the zen master of the household?

Who a rescue dog is changes so fast.

This dog was surrendered to Tierra de Animales, a (wonderful) rescue organization in Cancún, México. She was in the car's trunk,  bound and blindfolded, because her owner said she was "vicious". She's certainly terrified--wouldn't you be, tied up and chocked into the trunk of a car on a hot day and taken who knows where? But not vicious.




This dog was lucky. She could've been abandoned out in the wild, tied to a tree, left to die. Instead, she came to a place without judgment, without labels. She'll be allowed to become whatever she wants to.

Oughtn't we to allow ourselves the same kindness? The same freedom?

If you do, if you dare, who will you become?

~ * ~

Thank you for stopping by, and happy A-to-Z-ing!
We're almost there!

5 comments :

  1. Oh this reduced me to tears. This dog was so gentle and terrified-almost in shock. I hope he/she is better. The dog really looks like my Wallace. Wallace is my rescue boy and, although terrified by the outside after all these years, he is so much better than he was. he is spunky and barks as if he had no fear(yeah right!) and then he calms down near me, happy and lets out a fart...right now actually and it's a bad one.....sorry for writing this but he is the king of this

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  2. That poor thing! I'm glad she got rescued, still breaks my heart.

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  3. Thank you for this heart warming story showing that in spite of adversity one can grow into more and become more.

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  4. That video clip was very moving, and it is upsetting that anyone can treat an animal so badly. On your main theme, I fully agree with your thoughts on labels. I recall being at one of these awful meetings where one is supposed to introduce oneself to the group. I insisted that I was not to be defined my economic function. Of all the things I could do, being an IT consultant was the one that paid best, and best enabled me to do the things I wanted to do. That involved, as well as looking after my wife and children, keeping a variety of animals, and volunteering at a bird of prey centre. Where I lived, I was known as the bird man of the area, not the IT man. That came closer to defining me than my job ever could.
    Keep up the good work, Guilie.
    Keith at A storey of stories

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  5. I checked out several entries, and your theme is amazing. Well done. Jean, visiting for the A-Z Challenge from Rantings and Ravings of an Insane Writer

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