Top Dog

If we settled our differences like dogs and cats, forgetting and forgiving easily, would our world be a better place?

Last night my two medium sized dogs (Welsh Terrier and Corgi/American Eskimo mix) got into a tussle over dominance.  It seemed to be a dispute over who was top dog.  The two dogs were biting one another and fighting very aggressively.   I didn’t know how to stop the fight without being bitten.  It totally freaked me out, and I couldn’t help but think that one of them might hurt the other.

The dogs seemed to be filled with adrenaline, with their sole focus on winning the fight.  My efforts to stop them were futile.  I threw water, screamed, and threw small objects in an attempt to separate them, but nothing fazed them.  In those frenzied moments, it was clear that they had lost all objectivity.

But within minutes, the fight was over.  Each dog went to a different side of the backyard, to their own corners, so to speak.   Within five minutes of being apart, they were back in the center of the yard together, playing affectionately.  There was no longer anger.  There were no grudges.  The rest of the night was very peaceful. 

I have witnessed similar situations with my cats.  They sometimes fight over territory and dominance, but they wisely give wide berths to those with whom they are temporarily in conflict, and they forget and forgive quickly. 

Isn’t the planet big enough for all us to do that?  Yes, we will have our differences, but isn’t there room for all of us to eat, pee, and sleep where we feel safe?  

How often do we lose our objectivity in the heat of a moment?  When adrenaline runs through our body and we have the urge to fight, can we learn to forgive and forget before we act out a dispute?  Do we really need automatic weapons?  Do we have to kill to win?

In the President’s Inaugural speech on Monday, he reminded us of the following:  “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights that among these are life, Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.”   Why, then, do we feel justified in fighting and judging our foes who don’t see it our way?  Do we think we are better, smarter or more deserving?

 Isn’t it time we learn to forgive and forget as easily as our animal friends?