#EmptyTheCages
When I was a kid I BEGGED my parents to take me to Marineland because I wanted to see the whale and dolphin show. Within a minute of the show, I could tell the main orca was distressed. I'm not saying I have magical whale intuition, but this whale was aggressively slapping its fin and would not cooperate with the trainers.
I literally started to bawl my eyes out. I had gone to zoos and safari parks before but seeing this whale so upset struck me to my core.
My mom asked me what was wrong, "You begged us to take you here!" and all I could sniffle out between flowing tears was, "Theeeeeeey *sniff* waaaaaant to *sniff* go hooooome."
Translation, "They want to go home." And so did I.
Twenty years later, I'd bawl my eyes out again when I saw the moving documentary Blackfish that confirmed what I could see as a child. These animals want to go home and they owe us nothing, especially entertainment.
Now I know anything to do with animals is a very contentious subject so that's not where I wanted to go with sharing this story. But I think we can all see that these circus cats experiencing freedom after years in cages does give you hope that more animals will be able to spend their lives, safe in their homes.
Empathy in Action
I recently read a comment thread about how some people believe poor people don't deserve nice things, or at least that is the attitude projected on them constantly. It made me question if I had at anytime misjudged someone who needed help and evaluated what they already had instead of what they might need. The age old tale of not judging a book by its cover. (I encourage you to read the entire comment thread)
So this video about 19-year-old Aanchal who wanted underprivileged children to receive beautiful donated clothes (instead of tacky or unfashionable throw aways) showed up at the perfect time. This is the kind of empathy that makes my heart swell.
Everyone deserves to feel seen and cared for and Aanchal's story is inspiring so many people around the world.
Mesmerizing
Okay...so why does this video give me hope?
I guess for me, the story here is that this IS life. That it is just happening. All around us. Every second. That there is something beautiful about accepting all the different stages, the blossoming down to the decay.
Then again, I've been told by multiple sources that I'm a little weird... but this video has been watched almost 3,000,000 times so, I'm thinking I'm not the only weirdo who was completely mesmerized by this time lapse video. And THAT gives me hope too :)
Ghost Pedals
Did you think you were going to leave this post WITHOUT a cute dog video?
Go pup go! I hope this brings a smile to your day :)
#BelieveInBetter
Suggested Pela Blogs:
Believe in Better - Stories of Hope #001
