Don't just stand there...

Hi Friends;

As you have likely noticed, I started adding pictures of dogs and puppies to the blog with captions. Hey, what can I say, I love dogs and I love their expressions and vitality.

And, since we are on this, please, again, feel free to send me your favorite pics, be it of your dog or one that touches your heart, with a caption if you like. I'll add it to the list.

Well, imagine it or not, I am not running around with my little KodaChrome taking all these pics. I search for them via our little connection to the world. In my searching, I found a little shock today. But, I guess it's something that happens often and I wanted to share my concern with you and see what you think.

The pic I found, which I will NOT share because, well - it pissed me off! - was a series of pics of a dog laying in the street with another nosing it. Around this pair were cars, moving on to their destinations with seemingly little care. It was a city street, so it was not like the speed was an issue... and that was further demonstrated as the later picture showed numerous people with their camera phones clicking away.

I don't want to climb too high on my soap box here, as I have no idea what I would have done. That's just honest....I know what I would like to think I would do, but...? Let's face it, we've all been there.

Let's forget for a moment that it was just a dog, laying in the street as it's friend mourned in confusion while people passed on by - perhaps distressed by the plight of these two but continuing on nonetheless. Then, here comes someone...do they help? No, they just take pictures like this is some sort of entertainment moment.

Instead, can you see this as a person, laying in the street, with people passing by like this just doesn't matter? How about a child? How about a nation?

We are inundated with misery when we watch our tv's; people starving in war-torn nations, people hurt in natural disasters....and what is worse, the folks telling us of this often do it to play on our sympathies to do no more than scam, steal, swindle and con. It makes us callous, pulling inward and looking at the pain and misery only to shake our head and go on.

You know, we don't always have the little puppy dying in the street for whom we can ride to the rescue. But, how often have we come face to face with the pain of others? Have you ever seen the waitress who looks like she's on her last bit of energy yet still struggling to do well? Have you ever seen the old man watching the world from a park bench with no-one at his side? Hurt is all around us, sometimes. There must be some light, some sunshine on a cloudy day, huh?

I don't have the answers, my friends. I simply don't know what to do with the pain in this world. It bothers me. There's just so much! I guess I can't help but wonder if one finds himself confronted with another's pain, if one is within hands reach of such and doesn't help.......who will?