“WHEN I AM OLDER”

May 21, 2021

As I  strolled ahead of the 5th & 6th grade girls on the trail into the woods,  “L” raised the topic of her future plans.  “L” proclaimed, “Well, when I am older, I am going to buy 100 acres of land and have all rescue dogs on the property. I will have a big house. The top floor will be where I live and the downstairs will be where all the dogs live.  They will have cozy couches and places to relax.  I will also have bunnies too.”  “L” continued, “and I am going to live alone.” “R”interrupted, “how are you going to take care of everything by yourself?”  Another girl chimed in,  “you could hire someone.”  “L” hadn’t worked  on the actual business plan yet and her dream was not dashed by these comments. She stood strong and determined that her goal involved taking care of rescue dogs. 

Compassion towards animals resonates with this group of girls. Even something as small as a sow bug can receive the royal treatment from each of them.  There is no discussion of guns, swords, killing, or battling.  I often wonder about the kids who are missing the subtleties of kindness towards living things. So often I see this being replaced by technology which many times offers empty dreams and violence for these young forming minds.

As a child I was so concerned about playing, dressing up, singing to my records, and pretending.  Technology hadn’t reared its ugly head yet in the form of video gaming and social media.  

I suppose I could have said, “when I grow up I am going to sing, dance and play,” and my friends would have said, “you can’t do that for a job!”   Well guess what? That is what I do for a living!  I never could have imagined that being a kid was training for my future career.  Of course it didn’t happen right away. There were many journeys throughout the years.  

So my wish for “L” is to keep on planning and perhaps your dog rescue idea will become your reality in some form.  

How did your journey as a child impact your adult life?  I would love to hear your stories. Sue@avalonparkandpreserve.org