|
|
 |
Of Animals and
"Storms"
By Mona Lease
Hi, all!! "On days when the sun is unbearable, on days when the rain is
relentless...you can pull animals out of a terrible life..." This is an
excerpt from a commercial aired by the Society for the Prevention of
Cruelty to Animals. It speaks of cold weather, rain, heat, and animals
forced to live in this with no food, water, or shelter. Every time I
hear this commercial; it goes through my mind:
"Is there another animal we are forgetting here??" Think a
minute...tick...tock...tick...tock. Man is an animal. With our quest
for a "good life" - working overtime, tv, computer, etc- could part of
our drug problem be this "human" animal - the kiddie who had been
allowed to wander in a relentless rain of other kiddies who - like
himself - are alone, bored, lonely, confused, etc?
Picture it: A kiddie gets a good grade and tells his Mom (or Dad) about
it. Barely looking up from the computer or from the tv; the kiddie gets
a "that's nice." Imagine how that might make you feel. You might have
studied your little heart out to make your Mom or Dad smile...or pay a
little more attention to you. And all you get is a sideways look at you
and a cursory glance at the grade - with no notice of the work itself.
Some proof of this might be when a married woman runs to another man
because he listens to what she has to say, etc...or a man runs to
another woman for the same reason. Kiddies have feeling just like
animals (and other humans) - love, hurt, fear, the desire to please,
and such.
Knowing that not one of us will go to other people so we can constantly
hear how dumb we are...or how we continually make the same crazy
decisions...why is it so surprising that drug use has sky-rocketed??
Actually - how many of us have said "yes" to an evening of Pepsi
(coffee, etc) and good conversation/games, etc? See...no
stimulants/sedatives were needed.
No one - that I know - has kept going to the same "dealer" for
drugs...and gotten high only to remember ...while he was high on the
drugs for which he paid...how he was told he was stupid. That's even
"bad business" ethics for the dealer!!
The rubber meets the road right about here: Just as you have to do a
whole lot of work...and do it consistently...to win an abused animal's
trust (and you may never win their total trust)...that's what it will
take to win a kiddie's trust (or adult's) that has turned to drugs.
Just as you can not yell at an animal that's been abused - left in the
sun/wind/rain/cold - with no food/water/shelter - the kiddie will
crouch, cower, and run when he gets a chance, too.
Not all of the "staff" at the help centers, that are springing up like
mushrooms, are getting paid. There are those who help freely because
that's a way they can actively participate in this "war" on drugs.
I also wrote this column because I had a caller the other day tell me a
woman she knew had her kiddie taken away from her by the authorities.
The kiddie threatened other kiddies one too many times at school. The
Mother is on her path of drugs - any drugs. The kiddie is 14. (Puberty
comes into play here, too.) Imagine how many "promises" this kiddie
heard while the Mother was "jacked up" on something. I've heard these
"promises" from parents to kiddies while they were "high" and feeling
guilty. When the parent "comes down"...the guilty feeling is
there...but the parent is too tired/sick to do what they promised the
kiddie. And out the door the kiddie goes - into the relentless rain of
other kiddies feeling the same way. They know how he feels...they feel
the same way, too - for the same reason.
Lastly: Is there some "psychological angle" here?? You know - all
of your "bad grades" are constantly held in front of you, always with
the "why didn't you"/"why couldn't yous." And too many of these
listeners go the wrong way. SO..what would happen if we held up a "good
grade"...even if it's only one...the same one....as often as we held up
the bad ones??
Remember the kiddies and our service people. Take good care of the
furry and feathered ones out there. Be safe and healthy. See ya next
time. Ever Toodles!!! MONA
|
|
|
<
|
