I have missed posting over the last month but have found myself very busy. I want more than anything, to record my feelings about different subjects as closely as possible to when I am actually HAVING the feeling. But this thing isn't happening for me. This too busy-business has got to stop.
And then, of course, today is the day. "Patriots Day" supposedly. I must say this, and you can hate me all you want but this is the truth: violence begets violence and so then war begets war. 9/11 is the day our world-wide transgressions came home to roost. I will never forget that day and what happened, but I can not forgive "us" as a country, a culture, the things we have let happen in the name of the all-mighty dollar.
My 9/11 preachy-ness stops here. And I return naturally to animal welfare and justice. This is the center of my being. And so I wrote the next words on 9/12/13.
Yesterday, an incredible thing happened. Gabriel Pilotti, a man whom I do not know, who savagely and stupidly stalked and killed a nearby family's beloved dogs, was found guilty of two counts of animal cruelty. More than one thing was done right here: the police treated the crime scene *like a crime scene* and collected irrefutable evidence that was used to convict this very stupid and dangerous man; the county prosecutor made a solid case against him; the family of the dead dogs pursued justice with tenacity; and let's not forget this dorkus hung himself out to dry when he left a different neighbor a gloating voicemail bragging about killing these two gentle family dogs, bragging about his prowess with a shotgun.
In my mind, it is enough that he was convicted. I suspect he will "do no time." He will probably have to take a gun safety course, maybe some community service, maybe lose the right to a weapon permanently. But I doubt he will get a jail sentence. I am not the person that lost the dogs but for me the symbolism of the conviction is enough. It is dharma, the world equalizes forces.
I hope Pilotti's decisions to "shoot first and ask questions later" come back to him as flash backs day after day for the rest of his life. I hope his bragging both to the neighbor's voicemail and to the dead dogs' owner makes him sick when he recalls it, the same way the rest of us watching felt sick to our stomachs realizing how this could have been us, our dogs, our lives.
Aside from the deaths of Argus and Fiona, this other thing haunts me: I worry for the family's children. I worry they might have lost the feelings of safety and security that are part of a healthy childhood. I know the day the dogs died such brutal bloody deaths, that some part of each child's "innocence" evaporated. I hope the family has already sought counselling for the kids. I really do, and it would be nice if Pilotti is made to pay for that counselling. Just, it would just. Let justice be done.
And now a more light hearted topic on to what I personally am doing to promote wellness and kindness in my community. I mentioned earlier, in another post, that I plan to honor my friend Pat by offering my hand and help to those who seem in need. With this in mind I recall my friend Kat and I talking about how we had watched a fellow swim up to the boat launch earlier this spring. He had lost his boat, his pfd, and his shirt! The water was still wetsuit cold, and he was puffing like a heart attack was next on the agenda for the day. We were both stunned but agreed afterwards that we should have tried to help him. We should have popped into our boats and paddled out to him and gotten him to shore. Fail.
Monday the 9th of September found me out for a solo paddle. Near the 3.25 mile mark I came upon a Hobie Cat (a light weight catamaran) missing its mast and with a gentleman trying to paddle the boat with, what appeared to be, a broom... I'm going to force myself to offer help...against my quiet shy nature, and the fact that I am a woman... I called out a greeting, and was quickly informed that they had lost their trolling motor. I told them that they were 3 miles from the marina, where I had also launched. They were "paddling" the boat with a life vest on a stick, and a two by four.
I offered them my spare paddle, skulled over and pulled up against their boat. I hung around to make sure they were getting under way. They each took 1/2 of my paddle and started rowing canoe style. They actually were moving about 2.5 or 3 miles an hour. I told them I'd hang around the marina to collect my paddle.
After they made it back to the marina I chatted with them for a few moments. Very nice couple of fellows. The loaned paddle was a definite help. I headed home with a warm glow, glad I'd been some small help.
It is nice to help, this is what my friend Pat must have known.
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| Hobie Cat pulls up to the boat ramp 9/9/13 |
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