Seven-thirty weekday morning at the corner of Lawndale and
Pisgah Church,
four lanes of traffic whooshing by,
the Canada Geese family – two adults and a bunch of babies,
maybe a dozen –
are standing in the most left lane trying to cross.
Cars swerve around them and I am terrified that one of those
babies is about to die.
“Idiots!” I scream.
“Getting to work on time is not more important than saving
14 lives.
This world does not revolve around you.”
I stop my car, forcing the vehicles behind me to do the same.
Soon those in the lane to my right stop as well.
I stare down oncoming traffic. I wag my finger.
I shake my head violently. I yell, “STOP!” inside my car.
Eventually two kind hearted or guilt ridden souls give in
and apply their brakes.
The geese rush across in front of us. I smile at them. I bid
them good day.
I refuse to move until the entire family is on the opposite
side of the road.
I express my gratitude to the other three cars that joined
me in the rescue mission;
I curse those who were too selfish to care.
A different morning driving a country road,
I plunge into grief and horror when I see him,
someone's big brindled best friend's broken body lay at the
end of a driveway.
I imagine the family discovering him there as they begin
their day out in the world,
a world that feels incredibly cruel in that moment.
Beautiful collar, lovingly placed around his neck to mark
him as part of them.
“Damn coward!” I exclaim as tears stream down my face.
Why didn't you ring the doorbell and express your sadness
and apologize?
Are you scared of their emotions, of taking responsibility
for your actions?
It is our duty to take care of one another and that includes
the animals,
What has happened to do
no harm?
Some days I hate being a human. We really are stupid most of
the time.
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