I feel so...ashamed of myself. (Dog content)

Steve · #1 07-27-2011, 11:35 AM

At the gig last night just to the left of the bar entrance, there was a homeless guy sitting cross legged on the sidewalk. Next to him laying on a folded up quilt was a dog that looked disturbingly like one of the dogs on that gut wrenching SPCA TV add.

The dog seemed to be fed and well (relatively speaking) cared for. He was obviously totally committed to his owner. In my mind I thought:

I have no idea what that guys circumstance is but, if he has a good dog that devoted to him he is, in the things that really matter, a truly rich man.

It didn't even dawn on me until about halfway through the night that while my heart had gone completely out to that dog and gotten me all verklempt, I didn't even really see much less give a crap about the human being that was sitting next to the dog.

I would have taken that dog home right on the spot and given him a home for the rest of his days. I wouldn't even give the human being some spare change. Seriously, I couldn't even tell you now what the homeless guy looked like. I don't think I will ever forget that dog and the look on his face.

How effed up is that? How effed up must I be to be able to process stuff in that way?

fo shizzle · #2 07-27-2011, 11:41 AM

OK....... Let me show you the flip side of this.

You are in an extremely small group of people that have the self-awareness to generate that thought. The only thing you can penalize yourself for is the timing of your revelation.

Use this as a learning experience and move on....... It's all good.

Relic · #3 07-27-2011, 11:41 AM

I dunno, you were able to step back later and realize what you did and feel bad about it. Some folks can't really even do that. Sometimes things just happen, don't beat yourself up over it. Do something nice for the next person you see in need. It won't save the world but may make someone happy if just for a bit.

macaroni tony · #4 07-27-2011, 11:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Relic

I dunno, you were able to step back later and realize what you did and feel bad about it. Some folks can't really even do that. Sometimes things just happen, don't beat yourself up over it. Do something nice for the next person you see in need. It won't save the world but may make someone happy if just for a bit.

nice

Don't feel too bad...in our American culture it has become all but commonplace to have more sympathy for dogs than people. At least you noticed it. Take Relic's advice. He's a wise old man

Relic · #5 07-27-2011, 11:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by macaroni tony

nice

Don't feel too bad...in our American culture it has become all but commonplace to have more sympathy for dogs than people. At least you noticed it. Take Relic's advice. He's a wise old man

get off muh dayum lawn!

For real though - you mentioned something that I was thinking about bringing up - this "dogs > people" thing that you see so much around here and elsewhere. I love dogs and animals in general, but my heart would go out to the guy before it did for the dog.
That said, I may have done the very same thing Steve did though and here's why - IMO, we're kind of conditioned to ignore the homeless or anyone seeking our uninvited attention. We often ignore the little girls asking for Brownie Scout donations at Shop Rite, we ignore the Jehovah's Witness folks knocking at our door and yeah, we ignore the homeless guy sitting there because he's human and we'll have to interact on a deeper level if we acknowledge him. It's not so much heartlessness as it is laziness. You can just pat a dog on the head, say "goooood boy.." and be done with it. Not sure if that makes sense or not.

macaroni tony · #6 07-27-2011, 11:52 AM

^ Makes sense

MJ5150 · #7 07-27-2011, 11:56 AM

The homeless guy has resources to get help, the dog does not. I would have reacted the same way.

-Mike

macaroni tony · #8 07-27-2011, 12:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MJ5150

The homeless guy has resources to get help, the dog does not. I would have reacted the same way.

-Mike

The dog has claws, fangs, and can run fast. He's made to survive in the wild

Relic · #9 07-27-2011, 12:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MJ5150

The homeless guy has resources to get help, the dog does not. I would have reacted the same way.

-Mike

He does, but I'd argue that not all homeless are mentally capable of recognizing and getting the help. Homelessness can have a huge variation of causes from simple bad luck to profound mental issues.

**jmattbassplaya** · #10 07-27-2011, 12:06 PM

I don't think that is messed up at all. Then again, I've also said I would be much more inclined to shoot another person than I would an animal - although I'd rather not shoot anything if I don't have to. Now that's messed up.

i_got_a_mohawk · #11 07-27-2011, 12:17 PM

A lot of "homeless" folk have dogs because they get more attention from people than they would otherwise.

Heck, I once saw a homeless guy pack up his grotty sleeping bag, walk round the corner, give the dog and sleeping bag to another homeless guy who proceeded to walk along the road a bit and set up shop.

+1 to what MJ5150 said about the person (usually) having the ability to get out of that situation if they tried, that's surely one of the reasons a lot of people cater more to the hobo with a dog.

CapnSev · #12 07-27-2011, 12:19 PM

I feel exactly the same way.

kesslari · #13 07-27-2011, 12:23 PM

The other thing is that we protect ourselves from strong feelings, especially feelings of helplessness. We have too - there is so much pain and suffering in the world, if we opened ourselves to it all we would explode.

It is easier to deal with compassion for a dog than for a human - the dog has more limited, simpler needs, which we can imagine ourselves meeting.

As others said - you had the self-awareness to think about it. That is good.

a PS- one of the songs that my partner in Folk in A wrote (one of the best songs on "Wisdom of a Kiss", IMO) is "Broken Hearts Rescue Society". As Ted tells it, the inspiration came as he was driving past the Santa Clara Humane Society and thought "how cool that there's a place for lost and abandoned dogs and cats. But... what do we do for lost and abandoned people?"

Chebass88 · #14 07-27-2011, 12:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MJ5150

The homeless guy has resources to ~~get help~~ earn a wage by working and pay for his needs, the dog does not. I would have reacted the same way.

-Mike

Fixed.

Kawai-chang · #15 07-27-2011, 12:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chebass88

Fixed.

Or if not earning a wage, at least maybe bartering labor for food & lodging.

Besides being warm, dry, and fed, what do we REALLY need?

Relic · #16 07-27-2011, 01:02 PM

You guys seem to be missing the point that there are a lot of homeless folks who are there due to mental issues and such.
Sure, some of them are perfectly capable of getting help, getting their arses back up and into the work force and whatnot but I wouldn't paint them all with one big brush. "Homelessness" is a symptom that can have mounds of causes and is not an end-all be-all in and of itself.

**jmattbassplaya** · #17 07-27-2011, 01:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Relic

You guys seem to be missing the point that there are a lot of homeless folks who are there due to mental issues and such.
Sure, some of them are perfectly capable of getting help, getting their arses back up and into the work force and whatnot but I wouldn't paint them all with one big brush. "Homelessness" is a symptom that can have mounds of causes and is not an end-all be-all in and of itself.

+1

And maybe it's just me, but if I were to become homeless tomorrow I wouldn't even know where to go for help besides my friends and family. That said, not everyone has close friends or family to rely on in their times of need.

MJ5150 · #18 07-27-2011, 01:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jmattbassplaya

......if I were to become homeless tomorrow I wouldn't even know where to go for help besides my friends and family.

Follow the other homeless guys to the shelters, soup kitchens, etc. It's not difficult to find help in big cities like where you live. Or, you could find a drummer and ask him.

-Mike

Kawai-chang · #19 07-27-2011, 01:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Relic

You guys seem to be missing the point that there are a lot of homeless folks who are there due to mental issues and such.
Sure, some of them are perfectly capable of getting help, getting their arses back up and into the work force and whatnot but I wouldn't paint them all with one big brush. "Homelessness" is a symptom that can have mounds of causes and is not an end-all be-all in and of itself.

Not missing the point at all, Relic. I know there are mentally unstable homeless people, just as there are mentally stable homeless people who choose to be that way. And mentally stable people who don't want to be homeless but are.

I'm just saying, in reference to an above post, that a person doesn't need to be employed to be able to get off the street, they MAY be able to barter their labor for food & shelter.

I always thought we could have gov't sponsored dorms for the homeless that they could barter their labor for room & board. Keeps them off the streets, gets them maybe soem medical/mental care, and we get trash-free cities with clean parks and painted-over graffitti.

Nomadskills · #20 07-27-2011, 01:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MJ5150

The homeless guy has resources to get help, the dog does not. I would have reacted the same way.

-Mike

+1

Quote:

Originally Posted by Relic

You guys seem to be missing the point that there are a lot of homeless folks who are there due to mental issues and such.

And there are a lot that are not.