The news is tough to follow, as I am on the other side of an issue where generally I am not. That's kind of surprising, but I suspect it comes down to my own experiences and how I was raised. In the end, a lot does. I am not going to get into the relevant issue right now as people who are interested in the news already get more info than they probably want and don't need another opinion.
The cat issue is more pertinent to our immediate problem. The orange cat, who has been a stray around here, has now been neutered and had his abscess treated ($$$s flying out the window). Most of the time, we can get him to come in at night but frankly, he does not want to be a house cat for more than spraying walls to mark or food. I am not sure he's litter trained. He likes his freedom. Now what do you do about that? We had to neuter and have his abscess treated regardless of whether he wanted to be adopted. As an outside cat, he needed that kind of boost to his chances of survival. We only have power over what we can actually control-- not the consequences.
I tend to think there is some truth about that for us as humans too. There are prices we pay for our success or not. When we break the rules and expect others to accept us as we are, we cannot demand it-- although some never take responsibility for anything. Of course, some are born with disabilities or acquire them through illnesses which means their consequences are not just in their control but also in a society that either deals with that-- or does not.
A belief I have had all my life is that, for most of us, we have choices unless we are slaves. Don't bother telling me that some people don't because I don't believe it-- based on my own life, of course. I grew up in a home where the consequences were always pointed out. Want to eat what you want to eat? Fine but then you will be sick or fat or not have food later. Consequences are part of choices even if some don't want to accept that.
Because we don't like the ramifications of some choices does not mean the choices are not there. So we can work at a boring job that lets us pay the bills, or we can choose to not work. We can try to get our culture to pay for us either way-- but we cannot force the choices others make.
So my choice right now is to edit this book, even though the one before it has not sold much at all. I could forget the series and write what I think might sell better-- think 28,000 word mail-order bride or sweet romance. I cannot though force the consequences to be to my liking if I do write a book others don't find appealing.
Thinking this way is actually a liberating way to live. We have freedom but not from consequences.
It's not hard for me to see why I am at odds with many of the political persuasions, with which I used to be in tune-- why I can now watch a news program I used to hold in disdain and not watch a news program I used to enjoy...
The photos below are from our live-cam and the problem we and our orange cat had one night in the yard that was supposed to be fenced and safe. If you follow the timeline, you see how our night went... and worse the cat's.
In a pack, they will hunt and kill cats or whatever else they need to survive. It puts them at cross-purposes with us. I'd say consequences again but by now it's pretty obvious what I think-- sometimes guilt goes with consequences and I don't even know that it's justified-- maybe more taught.
The above image is the only one where there is nothing to see, because the raccoon must have gone over the gate, which has wire several feet above it. They were determined to get in-- and out. We need them unable to do so but haven't yet succeeded in that.
and then back in...
The cat, who meowed at our bedroom door many times, with us oblivious as to why, had an obviously bad night. The wound on his neck is healing from the abscess when the raccoons tried to corner him last week. If he comes in at night, we can keep him safe from them by letting him sleep in the solarium, which we have more or less protected from spraying. If he doesn't, well, that's consequences and he does know what is out there.
4 comments:
With humans, some do not get choices or they do not get enough information and cultural lifestyle to make a good choice. Some learn from their bad choices and some get discouraged and blame all of us...or some of us...for their lot in life. I wish everyone had a fair shot, but that is not so and we better fix that.
We can never fix all of it much as we might wish. Life has never been fair, but probably is closer to it now than even a hundred years ago.
To me, we start with quality schools for all children. But if you are familiar with what it's like to teach in some neighborhoods, basically needing combat pay for the dangers and frustrations, you know how complicated this is. For those raised by a single mom in what can only be called a ghetto, some rise up out of it. You read their stories, but the fact that it's unusual is why you read their stories. I believe we all have choices unless we are disabled mentally or physically. Just it's harder for some than others to make the choices that will get them jobs and a healthier life. Frankly following the rules isn't always fun for any of us.
On one of the news outlets, I watched some women harass a newsman, in as nasty a way as possible. They happened to be black, but the way they were behaving was a turn off to me as it also was when it was Occupy people a few years back. Occupy eventually lost the sympathy of the middle because of that. Vicious behavior will always be a turnoff. These people are furious; so were the Bernie protestors and the earlier Occupiers.
What I wonder right now is how much or the rage is being created by those who profit from it and stirring up emotions is how they operate? If you look at the statistics, the blacks aren't the only ones who have been killed by out of control police officers. I read an interesting study that claimed blacks are more likely to be stopped for being black. They are more frequently treated rougher by the police than whites... BUT the shootings are more about behavior and fear of being killed than skin color. So make of that what you will. I thought about sharing the link except statistics can be so manipulated. I do know that the shootings of white youths are less apt to get coverage right now.
I also read George Soros has put $33 million into the BLM movement to pay their leaders, get them to protests, etc. That's a lot of money. How much is also going into stirring them up? I suppose he thinks that will benefit Hillary, but I am not sure it'll work that way. These raging protests may benefit Trump with those who want an even harder line taken...
I keep coming back to changing the neighborhoods and schools. When you have over 50% of young black men unable to get jobs, that does not bode well for a culture. When their schools don't get them an equal shot at making it in college or a trade school, that also does not bode well. Maybe it's naive but I believe in education as an answer and a way to move up the ladder of success. If someone cannot speak or write in a legible way, what kind of job can they get? If they have it drilled into them that the enemy is someone of another color-- any other color-- how's that going to work?
What gets me about this is when I grew up things were not fair for minorities. I thought we had been improving that but now...
With all that's going on in the world it can be hard to tune it out to concentrate on any one thing. Interesting about the cat which reminds me of a feral three-footed female we befriended at our first home many years ago. She had trust issues, and wanted her independence to roam, too, and did, unfortunately coming to no good end from dogs whose owners allowed to roam free in the semi-rural area where we lived. I didnt realize racoons would attack a full grown cat as you describe. I would think that experience would be enough for the cat to seek your protection, but guess he has his priorities, must know the risks, so makes his choices, as you say.
They say generally when they attack one, it ends up dead. Tigger2 is a good sized cat though; so that might've helped. The bad part is how they get into the garden even with 8' fences and climb the fruit trees when the fruit is ripe. They are opportunists-- made worse by how they carry diseases.
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