A Little Red Wagon
(Note: This is a mirror of the post found in my new journal. If you want to read the post with hyperlinks and working music downloads, please visit http://swmorey.blogspirit.com, thanks.)
Today was a very normal day in most respects. I awoke, finished up my World War II lesson plan for my teacher education course, went to class, went to the bank, ate some pizza, etc. It was/is very nice out today and I decided to go for a run. I ran my usual route through Mill Pond Park, a trail system that runs along the Chippewa River and begins only a block from my apartment. I was feeling really good when I stopped running and began to walk home (I need to walk for awhile after I'm done running otherwise my muscles cramp up and I can't move). as Giant's Ninja Garden) is one of my favorite places in Mt. Pleasant. It is one of the few places in town where you can escape civilization for the most part and enjoy nature. As I walked back home along the trail I saw two women pulling a little red wagon. At first I thought a child was in the wagon, but as I got closer, I realized that it was a little dog.
The dog was very small and had a purple bandanna tied around its neck. I think it was a beagle and it may have been a puppy (I have never had a dog, so I can't be certain). Anyway, this dog with a purple bandanna was riding in this little red wagon very still and peaceful, but his head was moving all around and he seemed to be amazed by his surroundings. As I got closer, the dog gave a little bark, but it was a friendly bark and when I looked at him he seemed to be smiling (at least he looked like he was smiling). The two women smiled at me so I decided to make a little joke about the situation. I said, "I thought you were supposed to take a dog on a walk, not a ride." One of the women replied, "Oh, he can't walk. He is paralyzed."
I apologized and they said it was okay and I was on my way. At first I felt bad for making such a stupid comment. Then I felt sad for the dog. But now, an hour away from the event, I feel like I have just seen something special, something profound. Perhaps it seems small and mundane to you my readers, but something is lost from an experience when it is translated into language. There was something about this poor dog who would never move again, a dog that most people would have put down, that really got to me. He seemed so happy to be outside, so happy to be pulled along in his little red wagon, so happy to see new people and smell new smells. He had a purple bandanna and when I looked at him he smiled. I think that if there is a God, this is the way he communicates to us. In all the churches I have ever been or services I have ever attended, I have never seen a better example of brotherhood, compassion, and joy. The broken dog with a purple bandanna riding in a little red wagon on a spring day in the park, full of excitement and wonder, a testament of life and love if there ever was one. I wish I would have stopped and asked the two women pulling the wagon for their names, because I feel like they deserve recognition. Sometimes an action so little can make a big difference. Perhaps it is the little things we do for one another and hurt animals that makes all the difference.
The Hollies - He aint Heavy, He's my Brother
Good bye my Chamulas. Take care of one another.
Today was a very normal day in most respects. I awoke, finished up my World War II lesson plan for my teacher education course, went to class, went to the bank, ate some pizza, etc. It was/is very nice out today and I decided to go for a run. I ran my usual route through Mill Pond Park, a trail system that runs along the Chippewa River and begins only a block from my apartment. I was feeling really good when I stopped running and began to walk home (I need to walk for awhile after I'm done running otherwise my muscles cramp up and I can't move). as Giant's Ninja Garden) is one of my favorite places in Mt. Pleasant. It is one of the few places in town where you can escape civilization for the most part and enjoy nature. As I walked back home along the trail I saw two women pulling a little red wagon. At first I thought a child was in the wagon, but as I got closer, I realized that it was a little dog.
The dog was very small and had a purple bandanna tied around its neck. I think it was a beagle and it may have been a puppy (I have never had a dog, so I can't be certain). Anyway, this dog with a purple bandanna was riding in this little red wagon very still and peaceful, but his head was moving all around and he seemed to be amazed by his surroundings. As I got closer, the dog gave a little bark, but it was a friendly bark and when I looked at him he seemed to be smiling (at least he looked like he was smiling). The two women smiled at me so I decided to make a little joke about the situation. I said, "I thought you were supposed to take a dog on a walk, not a ride." One of the women replied, "Oh, he can't walk. He is paralyzed."
I apologized and they said it was okay and I was on my way. At first I felt bad for making such a stupid comment. Then I felt sad for the dog. But now, an hour away from the event, I feel like I have just seen something special, something profound. Perhaps it seems small and mundane to you my readers, but something is lost from an experience when it is translated into language. There was something about this poor dog who would never move again, a dog that most people would have put down, that really got to me. He seemed so happy to be outside, so happy to be pulled along in his little red wagon, so happy to see new people and smell new smells. He had a purple bandanna and when I looked at him he smiled. I think that if there is a God, this is the way he communicates to us. In all the churches I have ever been or services I have ever attended, I have never seen a better example of brotherhood, compassion, and joy. The broken dog with a purple bandanna riding in a little red wagon on a spring day in the park, full of excitement and wonder, a testament of life and love if there ever was one. I wish I would have stopped and asked the two women pulling the wagon for their names, because I feel like they deserve recognition. Sometimes an action so little can make a big difference. Perhaps it is the little things we do for one another and hurt animals that makes all the difference.
The Hollies - He aint Heavy, He's my Brother
Good bye my Chamulas. Take care of one another.