When Jackson and I went out to do chores this morning, my "landscaping challenges" were in the island flowerbed (and I'm NOT talking about the snow!). They moved off a bit when they saw us. If only Jackson would CHASE them and bark! Today, for the first time, Jackson did actually trot towards them, so maybe there's hope. Goofy dog - he barks at people, runs in fear when he hears dogs and coyotes, ignores deer and wants to play with sheep!About his desire to play with sheep, my dear friend and mentor Lois said, "It sounds as though Jackson might be interested in being a herding dog. If you think that you might ultimately want that, I would distract him from playing with the sheep - if you can. Don't tell him "no," however; that would discourage him.... In my experience, herding types are a clean slate, written on with indelible ink!" So now when we turn the sheep out, I make sure Jackson is on a retractable lead so I can keep him near me.
That phrase, "a clean slate, written on with indelible ink," has stayed with me. It has changed some of my interactions with Jackson, as I don't want to tolerate certain behaviors now if I can't fix them later. What about us humans? Aren't we all written on with indelible ink? Everything we experience has a permanent impact on us. Not that those experiences have to control how we think or act, but they do have an impact. Lots of food for thought there regarding how I treat others, who I choose to spend my time with, what I choose to view in print and on the screen, even what I eat or choose to think about....
That's it for now at . . .
2 comments:
I dont think we are as 'indelible' as dogs are; for the simple fact that we have the power to reason while using logic. But it is food for thought...
I read an author who said we are like a computer disc. Once we've been used, we'll never be that fresh disc again, but we can be reformatted.
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