Chilling on Koh Samet with the dog that adopted me

[penda]

So there I was, hanging out on Koh Samet (with a bit of a sunburn) when I spotted a chair with an umbrella. 30 Baht later, and the chair and shade was mine for the day. I put my coconut drink down and start to put up the umbrella, hoping that the shade will be enough to let my sunburn heal (despite the fact the sun is super bright and the sand is pure white... thus bouncing most of it right back at me despite any shade I could find), when a dog darts out of the bushes behind me. He takes a long look at my drink, decides it isn't good enough for him, and lays down in the shade of my umbrella... thereby taking up the spot I was going to put my chair in.

He gave me a look that was like "Look, pal, I've been kicked, beaten, and shot at nearly every day since I was born. You don't want to fuck with me. Now sit down next to me and scratch me behind my ear... I've had a hell of a day."

And that's what I did.

Comments

[inevitability.livejournal.com]

I think animal rights are probably a bi-product of wealth. Children need to be taught that animals are to be cherished and not hurt otherwise they'll just maintain the ant/magnifying glass mentality, but when you're franticly treading water in a society that seems hell bent to drag you down you don't have time to think about things like that.

That being said, I don't think it requires a "wealthy society" to have people who are conscious of the innate of right in all beings to live in peace and safety. I think it just requires a society that isn't driving its citizens into the ground. For example, the dogs around the Karen villages I visited were in much better condition (and so were the people, for that matter), because they had a society that was very distinct from Thai. To some western eyes they would seem poor, due to the fact that they lacked cable TV and A/C, but they were happy, only worked 6 months out of the year, and had time to devote to things that are much more important than money. Such as family.

I think that's probably a big reason why the people, and the animals, were in much better shape and were happier.