View from the bridge crossing the
Passagassawakeag River. (No, really, that's the name of the river.
Don't believe me? Click
here.) The river empties into Belfast Harbor and, just beyond
the harbor, Penobscot Bay.
Sailboats in Belfast Harbor.
The red, white-roofed building is Young's Lobster Pound, one of dozens of
establishments claiming to serve "the best" lobster.
Scenes from beautiful, picturesque
downtown Belfast. Colburn's Shoe Store, at left, is America's oldest shoe
store.
August
18, 2009 (Elkton
near Lisbon, OH)
I debated a good long while
as to whether I would write this entry. We were all very hopeful for a
happy ending for the abandoned kitten, but it was not to be; the kitten, named
"Peaches" by its adoptive family, died sometime Sunday night.
You were hopeful too, weren't you; otherwise you would not have followed
up. I suppose I could have left you to wonder, but you know that's not
really my way.
Peaches had begun eating normally, even gaining a little weight. She purred contentedly when her adoptive "mommy" cuddled her, and had shown interest in play. But the effects of dehydration and exposure were evidently too much for her little body. We were all sad over this outcome, but I'll allow that, in a way, Peaches did have a happy ending, as her death was apparently peaceful and she died in the company of a family who loved and cared for her.
How much better than the end which had been dealt to her, alone and scared?
Greg constantly tells me that it's no use wishing people would do things differently, and I know he's right, but I can't help but wonder what the thought process was for the person(s) who abandoned those kittens. I've heard it said that a cat is more capable of surviving in the wild than a dog, and perhaps to a degree that's true. Common housecats have many more behaviors in common with their wild counterparts than do dogs. But in the wild, lion cubs live within the protection of their pride for many months, if not years, before striking out on their own. During that time they learn how to hunt, along with other survival skills, from the lionesses of the pride. These little kittens were forced to leave their mother's protection much earlier than they would've if they had been born wild. The most glaring difference that I wish people would recognize is that a lion in the wild is top predator; a housecat in the house or barn is top predator, too ... but for a housecat in the wild it's a totally different story.
Ah! It's a sad story, and one which will unfortunately be repeated over and over again.
Mahatma Gandhi said, "The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated." I suppose that, by extension, the way a person treats animals is a clue to their values. I don't want to get embroiled in a debate over what constitutes ethical treatment of animals! And I certainly want to avoid judging the actions of another person. (though sometimes, it seems I have to catch myself!) But I do think it behooves us all to mind how we treat beings that are less powerful than ourselves -- because no matter how powerful you think you are, there is always someone more powerful than you. Isn't that sort of the underlying wisdom behind the Golden Rule -- Do unto others as you would have done unto you? The Golden Rule ... Karma ... no matter what your religious persuasion (or lack thereof), "What goes around, comes around."
I have a heavy, heavy heart today for anyone in a position of power who is careless for another who lacks power ... for the nursing home attendant who takes frustrations out on a patient ... for the supervisor who assumes a harsh "take it or leave it" attitude with an employee who voices concern over working conditions ... for the dictator who lives in opulence while citizens of his nation starve ... for a person who abuses or neglects animals ... The powerless suffer initially; the powerful suffer eventually. We all suffer, in some small way, when power is abused.
Thanks for letting me rant.