Climbing Out

AND THEN THERE WAS the one about the dog, a german shepherd, who was tied up to a tree for four years, the headline said. Good gracious. Sometimes you don't want to read anything beyond the headline. The thought came, here is a dog whose picture is on the internet, thus all over the internet, and thus the number of people who are aware of this is quite large. (Gotta admire that kind of percipience). this thought brought a great sense of comfort. In the photo the dog, a real beauty, showing only the face, looked underweight, haggard, perpetually miserable. All kinds of questions arose, unanswered, again, by virtue of choice. Lack of knowledge can lead to sometimes fruitful fantasizing. One can fill in the knowledge gaps later, when the dust has settled. Now it becomes easy to imagine some beautiful american human being, some veterinarian, say, taking over care of the dog, showing him kindness and friendship, trust and love, and gradually putting weight on and health into a rapidly healing being. Can you imagine the days going by and this dog getting lovingkindness attention from swars of people, and blossoming! Going to a good home, nice couple, could of kids, nice neighborhood, puppy with a new life snuggled up at the foot of the bed. Glory to God for the lovingkindness of humanity! Said Goethe: "Noble be man, compassionate, and good." When Goethe said this, he was describing humanity scientifically, from the vantage point of his two hundred I.Q., or however ozonic it was. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe did not always make flattering statements about homo sapiens, but he always seemed to hit the nail on the head, no matter what he said. And he called us good! Goethe told enough truth that I named my german shepherd, "Wolfgang", after him. Now perhaps I am ready to go back, read the entire article about the abused then saved dog, find out what really happened, to gain greater understanding, and it is to be hoped, finish reading with a profound feeling of exultation, of ultimate triumph, of having climbed out of the darkened pit, and back out in the world of sunshine and love.