There Is A Hole In My Heart

There is a hole in my heart.

This hole is the shape of a long-haired, red golden retriever/corgi dog

I want this hole to close, but I know it never will close completely. When my dog Benny died, he took a piece of my heart with him. Each of my dogs takes a piece of my heart when he/she dies. But Benny took a huge piece.

It's been only two weeks, and I know the pain will lessen with time. But the healing is oh so slow.

I think adopting another golden retriever (Benny was number 5-1/2) will help the hole to heal. But finding another golden retriever of the right age and temperament to be acceptable to my current dog, in a state that seems devoid of goldens, is proving to be very difficult. 

A friend told me recently that the right dog will find me. I thought I had found the right dog. He had everything I'm looking for in a dog. But then the person who runs the rescue -- it's a one person operation -- told me the dog wasn't available. I was told this just a couple of hours after the person texted me photos of the dog after his grooming. I'm sure I will never know the real reason.

So the search goes on for a golden retriever to help heal the hole in my heart.

This Isn't Patriotism

Here’s a newsflash for all you ‘patriots’ who proudly proclaim your ‘patriotism’ by setting off explosives on July 4 ... and the days preceding that date.

Lighting things that go boom and scare the bejeezus out of animals both domestic and wild — not to mention those suffering from PTSD –– does not make you a patriot. It makes you a selfish, uncaring egotist. And no, it is not your constitutional right to blow things up.

I am not talking about fireworks that explode hundreds of feet above the earth in  colorful displays. I am talking about explosives whose sole purpose is to make a loud noise when they explode. Last night someone in my neighborhood, probably one street over, was setting off explosives that sounded like cannons going off. One was so loud that it made me jump, and I was inside my house with doors and windows closed.

So all you ‘patriots’, please explain to me how setting off explosives reflects your patriotism. Is your patriotism so shallow that you must prove it by making ear-splitting rackets? Or does lighting things that go boom make you feel like a big, important, macho man?

Do you even know what patriotism really means? According to one dictionary I consulted, it means vigorous support for one’s country. How does blowing up explosives in your yard show your vigorous support for your country? Please enlighten me. 

And before you cry about your constitutional rights being violated, why don’t you start by reading the Constitution? It does not mention anything about your supposed right to celebrate, or your constitutional right to set off loud explosives. And I would bet that you’re the same whiners who a couple of years ago were complaining that being asked to wear a mask to protect public health violated your constitutional rights. Guess again.

Sometimes we are asked, or expected, as part a of a modern, supposedly civilized society, to forgo doing things that we might otherwise want to do, on behalf of the public good. That is part of being a good citizen, a good American, a good person. I guess you missed that lesson, too, huh?

Animals have died as a result of firecrackers and explosive devices. Dogs have jumped through glass windows out of fear. Horses have fled their pastures, sometimes ending up stuck in a cold, muddy creek that eventually took their lives. July 5 is the day more lost dogs end up in animal shelters than any other day of the year. Veterans who have served in combat, as well as victims of gun violence – – and we all know that gun violence is a daily occurrence in this country – – are terrorized by loud noises. 

So if you’re such a patriot, why don’t you care about the effect your booms have on our veterans? Obviously not all veterans have PTSD, but a sufficient number does so that you should — as a true, flag-waving patriot — want to support them. Right? Wouldn’t  a real patriot want to do anything and everything possible to support those suffering from combat-related PTSD and to minimize their psychological trauma?

Fireworks have been part of July 4 celebrations since 1777. Fireworks, not canon-like explosives, have been part of how we celebrate our country‘s independence for 245 years. Nobody wants to stop professional fireworks displays. Many people do want to end the never-ending explosions of private pyrotechnics in their neighborhoods and backyards.

And of course those who are screaming about their “constitutional right” to blow things up to ‘celebrate’ and demonstrate their so-called patriotism are the first to tell anyone who complains about the noise and the fear these explosions create to “leave the country if you don’t like it here.” You know, that retort never held water and it still doesn’t. Why is it that anybody who disagrees with anything these so-called patriots do is told to leave the country? Why don’t those of you who refuse to follow the law and who put your petty desires above the well-being of others leave the country? There are lots of lawless countries on this planet. Why don’t you pack your bags and go? 

There are plenty of ways to celebrate, whether it’s Independence Day or New Years Eve, that don’t include the setting off of explosives. There are plenty of ways to demonstrate one’s patriotism without terrorizing others.

How about demonstrating your patriotism by doing something that actually shows support for your country? Volunteer at a veterans' center, for example. Help a homeless veteran find a safe place to live. Fly your flag proudly. Donate food or time to a food bank. Get vaccinated against Covid. It doesn't matter what it is. Just do something to show your true patriotism without inflicting pain and fear on others.