Many scientists like to believe
that animals act on instinct,
genetics, and survival alone.
They avoid any discussion
about animals having personalities
or capabilities for complex emotions
and disregard those who believe
otherwise (such as me).

Attributing human characteristics
and behaviors to animals
is called anthropomorphism.
I am guilty of this scientific ‘blasphemy’.

I can assure you that my dog,
good old Blue,
(who is neither old, nor blue)
is perfectly capable of
all kinds of malarkey
including but not limited to
getting into the garbage,
helping himself to food,
barking at inappropriate times,
and ignoring a command
(with that look that says:
you want me to do what?).

He mourns when I leave
and rejoices at the first sign
of his leash, a treat, or a car ride.
When he is playful
he prances around feeling
very proud of himself
and has specific toys he prefers
over others.
He likes to snuggle,
and be acknowledged,
loved, and cared for.
In return, he provides
the same for me.

I challenge anyone to deny
that animals have personality,
feelings, or emotions.
Far from simply attributing
human characteristics to my pet,
I believe Blue is more than capable
of having and expressing
his own personality,
preferences, and feelings.

I refuse to believe that our
connections with animals,
(specifically domestic pets)
are merely our imaginations
or projecting our emotions
onto them.
I choose to believe
there is something more to it.
I hope you do too.

Please feel free to share
a story about your pet
that may illustrate their
emotional capabilities.

As someone who numbers myself
among those who were teased as a child
(particularly at school),
I find myself deeply concerned
and saddened when I hear
of another victim of bullying
which has seemingly increased
not only in seriousness
but also in frequency
between then and now.

When I was bullied,
I had to learn how to defend myself,
preferably “in a nonviolent way”
was how my parents put it.
I had to learn how to deal
with confrontations in such a way
that I was able to walk away
with some dignity
without having taken it
from another.

Looking back I see that,
despite how sad, lonely,
and awkward
I felt during those times,
it also taught me vital social skills
and lifetime lessons in
conflict resolution.

Bullying is more exposed these days
but is it really more common
or more extreme?
I’m afraid in many cases it is.
I’m afraid in many cases “It”
has become “All of the Above.”
Granted, social networking
definitely complicates matters.

As parents we wish to shield
our children from anything
that may harm them mentally,
physically, or emotionally.
When your child is being
tormented at school,
it can be very difficult to know
whether or not to intercede,
And how?
When is enough, enough?
Why are kids dying over this
and more importantly,
what can we do to prevent it?

I exercise with my music pod,
read and play games on my kindling,
talk and text endlessly on my cellphone.
I sit at my desk with my
computer and sound system.
Technology everywhere,
all within arm’s reach.
And I try to remember
what we ever did before
we had so much stuff?

Turning in my swivel chair,
I gaze at my long neglected
bookshelf, heavy with its burden
of formerly beloved
works of literature.
Something deep
within me stirs.
I pick out a favorite,
blow the dust from the jacket.

Nostrils flare with a mix of
age and paper.
A sneeze.
Ears make note of the
crisp crack of a sturdy binding,
opened again, pages fanning.
While hands fumble,
thumb-through the pages,
Eyes seek the mark:
Chapter One.
The air tastes like comfort
and something ancient,
like time spent without
electronic entertainment.

A mug of steaming tea,
wearing jammies,
under the soft glow of a lamp,
with a blanket, on the couch.
I sit and read.
The old fashioned way.
What did you ‘used to do’?
Before technology charmed us so?

There is much debate these days
regarding who’s allowed to marry whom
and also, the controversy
over a prominent politician
and the timing with which
he divorced both of his former wives
(each at the onset of illness),

This leads me to the question:
What does marriage really mean
in a modern world?
Is marriage merely a civil formality,
a ‘piece of paper’ so to speak?
Or does it mean that
two people are making a commitment
to each other for the rest of their lives?

…to have and to hold
from this day forward,
for better or for worse,
for richer, for poorer,
in sickness and in health,
to love and to cherish;
till death do us part?

Would vows closer to the truth be:
…to have and to hold
from this day forward,
as long as we are financially secure,
and we both remain healthy,
as long as we agree on everything,
till one of us gets bored,
until we no longer wish to remain faithful,
as long as we can stand each other,
and until it becomes inconvenient
till divorce do us part?

Can the institution of marriage
be saved and refined?
Or will it go the way of so many other
traditions long neglected and misunderstood?

(**It is important to note that cases of mistreatment and abuse one should never stay in an unsafe environment!)

We are now, as human beings,
so distant from qualities of substance,
so far from things that really matter.
What happened to common sense?
And value? And ethics?
With all our advancements
we have lost sight.
Foresight, insight, hindsight.
We are blinded by trinkets.
All this chaos that we created
makes me wonder,
what if we could just go back to
raw, hard, simple living?
To a time when the cost of an item
was the amount it was worth.
When your return was at least
the same as what you put in.
It’s a complicated life we’ve made
with our paper money and credit cards.
So much for evolution.