When the dog larns you good

I went on a walk with the dogs the other day and I was struck by how focused my dog can be on the ball and how distracted he can be when it’s not around. For better or worse he’s a chaser. A ball, frisbee, people, birds, cars, tractors, rabbits, lizards, doesn’t matter what it is, if it moves he’s after it. Here’s the thing, except for the toys, I don’t think he’d know what to do if he ever actually caught anything. Case in point, a couple days ago a bird was on the ground and he found it and just stared at it puzzled, not sure what to do next. Now my parents’ dog, she knew exactly what to do with a bird that can’t escape because she is a hunter. Patiently she’ll wait near gopher hole holes, wind rippling her fur muscles tense just waiting for a chance to pounce.  

Here’s the question, how often am I like my dog, losing focus on what I’m entrusted to do and instead constantly running from one fleeting thought or conversation to the next? And on the other hand, how often am I like my parents’ dog, biding my time just waiting to pounce? Do I only listen when there’s a treat or is the Voice and the commands so ingrained I respond to their prompting even if it’s spoken in a whisper? 

Taking this class, having discussions in the midst of some rather bizarre circumstances has shown me how easy it can be to lose focus, like my dog. It’s also taught me how easy it can be to focus on the wrong thing, like my parents’ dog. (Figuratively the wrong thing. I’m sure she’d tell you fresh food is not the wrong focus for a dog.)

Dirt Therapy

I think it's high time we had a garden update.

Awhile back I mentioned that the pots with the young greens had been placed on the porch only to be eaten a few days later. My hope at the time was that some of them would survive but unfortunately that was not to be. The only plant is still alive from that stint is one of the spinach plants, the rest had to be replanted. Unfortunately I mixed the cabbage and lettuce seeds at one point, and was going to have to swap pots, but then we found another large one, so all is well again. The real question is going to be how they they handle multiple hot days in a row. (Minus a couple of hot days, it's been a relatively cool summer so far.)

Meanwhile, the garden itself is growing like mad. Or at least half of it is. The half we planted in spring is becoming full and some of the produce is even ready for harvest. The newer half of the garden is still scraggly and will remain that way until the seeded plants get a bit bigger. In my infinite wisdom I put seeds into the ground and then failed to mark where or what. So now we play the "is that a weed or a seed?" as they slowly grow bigger. My hope is in two more weeks things will have grown in and I'll have a better idea of what might need a third round of planting. 

(I did previously mention the garden got extended right? If I didn't I apologize, Dad basically doubled the length of the drip line and there is now have twice the space to work with!)

To enthusiasts, I'm sorry if my lackadaisical method drives you nuts. While I know there's a science to germinating and planting seeds, in this case I much prefer the learn by doing method. And the good news is, we have a LOT of seeds I can practice with.  

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In one of my classes we had to read a book called Walls: Travels Along the Barricades by Marcello Di Cintio. After reading we were asked in class what kind of walls do we have in our society and in the church. (Don't worry, the U.S./Mexican border wall made the book.) 

I kept thinking about this question and things that that I may not have associated in the past as thus. The stories in the book from the walls in Belfast kept coming to mind. It took a bit but eventually I realized why; although not physical social media can create digital walls similar to ones found in the Ireland. As a medium there is a physical divide between the people on either side. A screen that despite connecting us can also make the people on the other side faceless. This isn't a new concept, many studies and comedians have explored the idea that having that bit of anonymity allows for people to say things they would be less likely to say face to face. In addition he plethora of "facts" and "experts" online allow for an individual to craft almost any narrative they desire with "evidence" to support it.

But what stood out to me is that instead of rocks or bottles, we sling words across. We give ultimatums and occasionally insulate ourselves from those hateful others by de-friending or debunking their thoughts with a vehemence. I suspect, much as the act of fighting back makes those along the walls feel better, so too do our angry posts serve to soothe the tension and frustration we feel. 

I have a temper, I've always been a bit quick to fly off the handle, but I usually cool off pretty quickly. Over time my fuse has slowly been getting longer and I've come to realize that as good and therapeutic I find yelling, it can sometimes cause discomfort to those around me. In the last 10 years I've started watching others with tempers or who are yelling and I've noticed two things: 1) when you're a boss being prone to loud expressions of dislike can make people shut down and not want to talk with you. 2) Whether a cop or protestor, yelling at people rarely changes their mind about anything. (Note, this is an observation formed before recent events.) 

No one really likes to be yelled at. It's often frowned upon in polite society and yet when it comes to social media unconstrained behavior becomes the norm. Angry words, thrown across a barrier of 1 and 0's.

Title translated using: https://www.convertbinary.com/text-to-binary/