I rarely write about animals, I find it hard to. Not because they occupy too little space in my life, but quite on the contrary - because their stories fill up my life on a daily basis. I don't write about them, because I feel humbled by their strength and by their ability to endure life with humans and, some of them, to love us, humans, more than we deserve. I feel I lack the words and the ability to transcribe this.
I owned myself quite a few dogs so far, I met and tried to help a few others. Each of them had a clearly defined personality and, if they were all to look alike, they would still be so easily distinguishable. Tofa: delicate, picky and cheerful... Ugly: meticulous, devoted and humble... Raptor: an old criminal, joyful and willing not to bother... Gica: a leader, an epitome of dignity, and still a puppy deep in his heart... Aldo: neurotic to the bone, innocent and joyful when he trusts... Cara: serious and independent (but still able to love so much that she would give up her independence to follow me wherever), strong and yet playful... Toby: a dog like a smile, a bit cunning and always happy ... and the list can go on - Aldo (II), Bijou, Kitty-Cat, Dunguska, Fido, Bruno and then again another Bruno, Molda... Sosetuta, the stray dog who was protecting his girl-dog till the last day of his life... and his girl, Griuta, who died soon after Sosetuta because she was too weak to survive without him... The unnamed stray male who was raising generations of abandoned puppies ... they all marked a place in my heart and their memory is still with me long after they have left my life.
And then again, the unnamed dog... deserving a monument like the unnamed soldier, unknown martyr or humble survivor, so rarely having a good faith from birth till death... how can one write about this and not feel humbled? How can you look at a cat, so far untouched by humans and a bit wild, who surrenders into your lap and starts purring, for as little as a can of food and some petting, otherwise than with respect? Is it innocence, is it trust, is it ... what is it?
Humbleness is what moves me and touches me the most in animals. The humbleness with which they accept their place and they live their life. The humbleness with which they face the good and the bad, they live the today and survive till tomorrow. No complaining, no whining, no self pity and no dramas - just patiently facing life. Humbleness is not a virtue we are used to, and it's not a culturally transmitted value. I find it hard to understand how one can watch a moon eclipse and still over-evaluate his place in the universe.... almost just as hard as understanding how can one kick an animal just because he passes by next to it.
Why am I writing this? Because during my long drive home, I encountered again the Romanian village and the dogs wandering on the edge of the roads. Thin, humble and scared, hungry and always searching for a piece of food, for a piece of life, they made me feel again powerless against the suffering of the livings and reminded me that the best way to perpetuate injustice is to pass by and do nothing. If we were all, once per year let's say, to take attitude and do something about the things that we care for, the world would be a better place. And no... I am not participating in a beauty contest and I do not want rice for the African kids or forests for the tigers... I just want a decent world. There where compassion and common sense prevail, nothing can turn bad.
I owned myself quite a few dogs so far, I met and tried to help a few others. Each of them had a clearly defined personality and, if they were all to look alike, they would still be so easily distinguishable. Tofa: delicate, picky and cheerful... Ugly: meticulous, devoted and humble... Raptor: an old criminal, joyful and willing not to bother... Gica: a leader, an epitome of dignity, and still a puppy deep in his heart... Aldo: neurotic to the bone, innocent and joyful when he trusts... Cara: serious and independent (but still able to love so much that she would give up her independence to follow me wherever), strong and yet playful... Toby: a dog like a smile, a bit cunning and always happy ... and the list can go on - Aldo (II), Bijou, Kitty-Cat, Dunguska, Fido, Bruno and then again another Bruno, Molda... Sosetuta, the stray dog who was protecting his girl-dog till the last day of his life... and his girl, Griuta, who died soon after Sosetuta because she was too weak to survive without him... The unnamed stray male who was raising generations of abandoned puppies ... they all marked a place in my heart and their memory is still with me long after they have left my life.
And then again, the unnamed dog... deserving a monument like the unnamed soldier, unknown martyr or humble survivor, so rarely having a good faith from birth till death... how can one write about this and not feel humbled? How can you look at a cat, so far untouched by humans and a bit wild, who surrenders into your lap and starts purring, for as little as a can of food and some petting, otherwise than with respect? Is it innocence, is it trust, is it ... what is it?
Humbleness is what moves me and touches me the most in animals. The humbleness with which they accept their place and they live their life. The humbleness with which they face the good and the bad, they live the today and survive till tomorrow. No complaining, no whining, no self pity and no dramas - just patiently facing life. Humbleness is not a virtue we are used to, and it's not a culturally transmitted value. I find it hard to understand how one can watch a moon eclipse and still over-evaluate his place in the universe.... almost just as hard as understanding how can one kick an animal just because he passes by next to it.
Why am I writing this? Because during my long drive home, I encountered again the Romanian village and the dogs wandering on the edge of the roads. Thin, humble and scared, hungry and always searching for a piece of food, for a piece of life, they made me feel again powerless against the suffering of the livings and reminded me that the best way to perpetuate injustice is to pass by and do nothing. If we were all, once per year let's say, to take attitude and do something about the things that we care for, the world would be a better place. And no... I am not participating in a beauty contest and I do not want rice for the African kids or forests for the tigers... I just want a decent world. There where compassion and common sense prevail, nothing can turn bad.
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