February 21, 2010

White Dog listened attentively as the post yoga group enjoyed Gregg's homemade spinach pizza and discussed the concept of living in the "now." Steve had just finished a SciFi novel Blind Sight) that dealt with a race born without consciousness meeting the conscious human race. As Dragon gnawed a bone, the need to rid oneself of ego was debated as was the harmful effects of filtering everything through the giant "I." Some of us maintained without ego there was no art...or creativity. It was countered that without ego there was no war...or domination. White Dog heard Kurt Vonnegut's paraphrase about the human race being determined to cause their own extinction.

Finally, she could take no more and cleared her throat. "You humans always talk about living in the now like it was something to schedule or to make an exclusive commitment to. That is such narrow thinking. Living in the now is important but it doesn't mean you disregard the past because from there comes your credo of life, your rules that you live by, the basis of your nobility. Without the past your are doomed to situational ethics. And you cannot disregard the future because that is where hope springs from and without that humans would lack motivation to stretch and reach and suffer for the greater good."

White Dog continued, "Look at us dogs. I enjoy a bone when it is available and I remember where the treat bag is stored. I even anticipate that when those lamb shanks finish roasting that one will be for me. But it doesn't change my life or ruin me if no bone is here or the treats are moved or the lamb is not served, even though my expectations based on the past are not met, I adapt and move on...that's where humans get mired." She added, "Humans don't know how to let go. They keep all this silly ego stuff in their heads and get hurt or angry or embarrassed and it just keeps growing and growing. " Having said her piece, White Dog joined Dragon and the six bones he had collected from around the house. The rest of us sipped iced tea and considered her points. We all love a good philosophical debate...especially since afterward comes dessert!