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April 10, 2005
Hobbes
Is he thirsty? Not anymore. Is he hungry? Maybe. Is he looking for a place to die? Already tried under the pool table. What's his story? It depends on who you ask...Rumor has it, there was an accident earlier tonight. At around two in the morning, a couple was coming back over the bridge from the Bamboo Bar on their Honda Wave motorbike rented just hours before. Notorious for its late night, past-curfew alcohol sales, the Bamboo Bar had supplied them with a fair amount of beers. As they dropped over the lip on the far edge of the bridge, a pair of eyes stared shocked motionless into their headlights. It was too late. Brakes and wheels screeching, the back tire swung out sideways in a slide and clipped his hind legs just enough to knock his small but fit body into a full spin as he collapsed to the ground. The couple recovered and looked back a bit shocked as they took off with unfriendly thoughts towards the many stray Thai dogs that populate this country.
Hobbes was so scared, but slowly made his way to a familiar place. That loud human contraption had really hurt! Why can't I feel my legs? When can I chase squirrels again? I'm scared. He hobbled around the block into the driveway as his two back legs dragged behind him in a very helpless fashion. Baan Tawan guesthouse was where his best friend, Jeap, lived. They got involved at one point when they were younger, but had decided just to be friends from then on, and good friends they were. Jeap came running over and after some sniffs and licks, they were lying together in the grass near where the humans played their silly games. She didn't like the look of her friends injuries one bit. Revealed by spine-chilling cries of pain, trying to move must have felt terrible. There were humans here, why weren't they helping?
I'd played so many games of pool already, but what else was there to do? It was three in the morning and the night had been interesting. A new game was invented involving holding one hand behind the back, the other holding a pool cue, and lots of alcohol. Also, a new visitor to Baan Tawan had showed up. This poor dog must have gotten hit by a car or something, it couldn't move the lower half of his body. Nobody knew it's name or where he came from, but he lay himself in the grass near our pool table and whimpered. Some aspirin and peanut butter? Sure. He was a sad sight. None of us wanted to discuss the reality of what most likely needed to happen. Was there anyone to drive the four hours through the mountains to a vet in Chiang Mai? No. What were the alternatives to a life of paralysis? Lethal injection? Gas chamber? They call those humane, right? This is Thailand and a bullet is the accepted method, but who has the strength to shoot a puppy?
Whatever happens, tomorrow it will be dealt with, I'm sure. It's four o'clock and I named him Hobbes. He is lonely and trembling and full of heart-wrenching cries. As I closed the doors to my bungalow he stared up at me from the bottom of the stairs with true puppy dog eyes. As the words spill onto the page, he's made a bed underneath my stilt-raised bedroom; I can hear the fear in his yelps and howls. I hope he's warm.
Life is hard sometimes, for us humans and our animal friends alike. There are heartbreaking moments throughout that can take you by surprise and really test your love of life. Our hearts can fill with such strong emotion sometimes, like exuberance and elation, or a tragic loss that can rival physical pain. It's a sad truth that most of the best things in life are not long lasting. When you're given a choice, you can either experience the good and accept the bad that comes along, or you can try to stay in-between, hovering in the neutral middle-ground between happiness and sorrow, love and love lost, ecstasy and misery.
I choose the path of feeling. Sweet just isn't as sweet without some bitterness to provide contrast, and if you work things just right, it's not hard to be feeling sweet most of your days. I always tell people being upset is a terrible waste of time when you could be laughing, don't you think? Let the love flow, for the feeling of opening your eyes first thing in the morning and then being able to close them again, for each meal, for each kiss, for each shower, for every smile given and returned even sweeter, for every amazing soul you'll meet on every amazing day. You will feel more alive than ever before!
Posted by Tom Bodhi at April 10, 2005 03:51 AM
Comments
What a sweet sad story! Our animal friends teach us much about our own emotions of joy and pain. Their suffering reminds us of our own mortality. We all live moment to moment, but only humans imagine backwards and forwards in time. Animals carry their memories in their bodies, and so do we, but we can think about how or why something happened, and we can "plan" for the future. Of course, the future is not something we can predict, but we can learn to prevent certain patterns from repeating in our lives. All in favor of increasing joy and avoiding unnecessary pain. at least we hope so. Being grateful makes each moment a celebration of consciousness, so we can enjoy life for what it is. Everything teaches us what we need to know.
Posted by: emma cornell at April 10, 2005 01:59 PM
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