Comments on: The Problem With Pretending http://www.lifewithoutpants.com/guest-posts/the-problem-with-pretending/ Perspective on life less restricted Sat, 11 Feb 2012 02:39:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Josh Hanagarnehttp://www.lifewithoutpants.com/guest-posts/the-problem-with-pretending/#comment-14164 Josh Hanagarne Wed, 02 Dec 2009 23:58:15 +0000 http://www.lifewithoutpants.com/?p=4232#comment-14164 Toni, you're absolutely right, thanks.After the fallout from this post, I actually took a trip to Nevada a couple of weeks ago for work. I was able to drop by and visit Grover. He's now the size of a small horse and is deliriously happy. I'm still happy he was my dog, even though he was better to me than I was to him.I heard a quote recently that I really liked. "We can only measure our humanity by the way we treat animals." I really do believe that and I believe that compassion is the most important thing in life. I wish I'd made a better choice, but I didn't, and now I'm stuck with the memory. It's good for me, and this experience has helped me take a look at a lot of other things I wish I'd done differently in the past, and mistakes I'll be able to avoid from now on. Toni, you’re absolutely right, thanks.

After the fallout from this post, I actually took a trip to Nevada a couple of weeks ago for work. I was able to drop by and visit Grover. He’s now the size of a small horse and is deliriously happy. I’m still happy he was my dog, even though he was better to me than I was to him.

I heard a quote recently that I really liked. “We can only measure our humanity by the way we treat animals.” I really do believe that and I believe that compassion is the most important thing in life. I wish I’d made a better choice, but I didn’t, and now I’m stuck with the memory. It’s good for me, and this experience has helped me take a look at a lot of other things I wish I’d done differently in the past, and mistakes I’ll be able to avoid from now on.

]]> By: Josh Hanagarnehttp://www.lifewithoutpants.com/guest-posts/the-problem-with-pretending/#comment-32011 Josh Hanagarne Wed, 02 Dec 2009 23:58:00 +0000 http://www.lifewithoutpants.com/?p=4232#comment-32011 Toni, you're absolutely right, thanks.After the fallout from this post, I actually took a trip to Nevada a couple of weeks ago for work. I was able to drop by and visit Grover. He's now the size of a small horse and is deliriously happy. I'm still happy he was my dog, even though he was better to me than I was to him.I heard a quote recently that I really liked. "We can only measure our humanity by the way we treat animals." I really do believe that and I believe that compassion is the most important thing in life. I wish I'd made a better choice, but I didn't, and now I'm stuck with the memory. It's good for me, and this experience has helped me take a look at a lot of other things I wish I'd done differently in the past, and mistakes I'll be able to avoid from now on. Toni, you’re absolutely right, thanks.

After the fallout from this post, I actually took a trip to Nevada a couple of weeks ago for work. I was able to drop by and visit Grover. He’s now the size of a small horse and is deliriously happy. I’m still happy he was my dog, even though he was better to me than I was to him.

I heard a quote recently that I really liked. “We can only measure our humanity by the way we treat animals.” I really do believe that and I believe that compassion is the most important thing in life. I wish I’d made a better choice, but I didn’t, and now I’m stuck with the memory. It’s good for me, and this experience has helped me take a look at a lot of other things I wish I’d done differently in the past, and mistakes I’ll be able to avoid from now on.

]]> By: Tonihttp://www.lifewithoutpants.com/guest-posts/the-problem-with-pretending/#comment-14161 Toni Wed, 02 Dec 2009 22:11:26 +0000 http://www.lifewithoutpants.com/?p=4232#comment-14161 A bat? You were going to hit the poor dog with your bat? I would think he would have suffered enough, do you know how many times you would probably have to hit the dog for him to die? That's crazy. I can sympathize you were hurting and thought you were doing the best thing, but next time, if you think the dog is in that pain, either shoot him or take him to a vet, but don't swing the bat. A bat? You were going to hit the poor dog with your bat? I would think he would have suffered enough, do you know how many times you would probably have to hit the dog for him to die? That’s crazy. I can sympathize you were hurting and thought you were doing the best thing, but next time, if you think the dog is in that pain, either shoot him or take him to a vet, but don’t swing the bat.

]]> By: Tonihttp://www.lifewithoutpants.com/guest-posts/the-problem-with-pretending/#comment-32010 Toni Wed, 02 Dec 2009 22:11:00 +0000 http://www.lifewithoutpants.com/?p=4232#comment-32010 A bat? You were going to hit the poor dog with your bat? I would think he would have suffered enough, do you know how many times you would probably have to hit the dog for him to die? That's crazy. I can sympathize you were hurting and thought you were doing the best thing, but next time, if you think the dog is in that pain, either shoot him or take him to a vet, but don't swing the bat. A bat? You were going to hit the poor dog with your bat? I would think he would have suffered enough, do you know how many times you would probably have to hit the dog for him to die? That’s crazy. I can sympathize you were hurting and thought you were doing the best thing, but next time, if you think the dog is in that pain, either shoot him or take him to a vet, but don’t swing the bat.

]]> By: Josh Hanagarnehttp://www.lifewithoutpants.com/guest-posts/the-problem-with-pretending/#comment-13774 Josh Hanagarne Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:04:55 +0000 http://www.lifewithoutpants.com/?p=4232#comment-13774 Taylor, I will agree that the experience affected me deeply. There's a reason I'm still talking about it 12 years later. The only other thing I'll say: once a coyote grabbed one of my dogs while I was playing with it in our back yard. The dog wasn't running free--it was within one foot of me. The coyotes were everywhere and they were always starving and aggressive. I was attacked by one myself once, and I ran free a lot more than my pets.Thanks for the comment. Taylor, I will agree that the experience affected me deeply. There’s a reason I’m still talking about it 12 years later. The only other thing I’ll say: once a coyote grabbed one of my dogs while I was playing with it in our back yard. The dog wasn’t running free–it was within one foot of me. The coyotes were everywhere and they were always starving and aggressive. I was attacked by one myself once, and I ran free a lot more than my pets.

Thanks for the comment.

]]> By: Josh Hanagarnehttp://www.lifewithoutpants.com/guest-posts/the-problem-with-pretending/#comment-32009 Josh Hanagarne Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:04:00 +0000 http://www.lifewithoutpants.com/?p=4232#comment-32009 Taylor, I will agree that the experience affected me deeply. There's a reason I'm still talking about it 12 years later. The only other thing I'll say: once a coyote grabbed one of my dogs while I was playing with it in our back yard. The dog wasn't running free--it was within one foot of me. The coyotes were everywhere and they were always starving and aggressive. I was attacked by one myself once, and I ran free a lot more than my pets.Thanks for the comment. Taylor, I will agree that the experience affected me deeply. There’s a reason I’m still talking about it 12 years later. The only other thing I’ll say: once a coyote grabbed one of my dogs while I was playing with it in our back yard. The dog wasn’t running free–it was within one foot of me. The coyotes were everywhere and they were always starving and aggressive. I was attacked by one myself once, and I ran free a lot more than my pets.

Thanks for the comment.

]]> By: Matt Cheuvronthttp://www.lifewithoutpants.com/guest-posts/the-problem-with-pretending/#comment-13772 Matt Cheuvront Fri, 20 Nov 2009 21:21:53 +0000 http://www.lifewithoutpants.com/?p=4232#comment-13772 Taylor - In hindsight I can certainly see how this post might have come across as cold and/or cruel. I do not think your friend was erroneous in her reaction and neither are you. But, with that being said, I assure you that Josh really did not mean any harm by this - he has apologized for such, as have I. Thanks for sharing your perspective. Taylor – In hindsight I can certainly see how this post might have come across as cold and/or cruel. I do not think your friend was erroneous in her reaction and neither are you. But, with that being said, I assure you that Josh really did not mean any harm by this – he has apologized for such, as have I. Thanks for sharing your perspective.

]]> By: Matt Cheuvronthttp://www.lifewithoutpants.com/guest-posts/the-problem-with-pretending/#comment-32008 Matt Cheuvront Fri, 20 Nov 2009 21:21:00 +0000 http://www.lifewithoutpants.com/?p=4232#comment-32008 Taylor - In hindsight I can certainly see how this post might have come across as cold and/or cruel. I do not think your friend was erroneous in her reaction and neither are you. But, with that being said, I assure you that Josh really did not mean any harm by this - he has apologized for such, as have I. Thanks for sharing your perspective. Taylor – In hindsight I can certainly see how this post might have come across as cold and/or cruel. I do not think your friend was erroneous in her reaction and neither are you. But, with that being said, I assure you that Josh really did not mean any harm by this – he has apologized for such, as have I. Thanks for sharing your perspective.

]]> By: Taylorhttp://www.lifewithoutpants.com/guest-posts/the-problem-with-pretending/#comment-13770 Taylor Fri, 20 Nov 2009 21:07:13 +0000 http://www.lifewithoutpants.com/?p=4232#comment-13770 I was sent a link to this by a friend asking if she was overreacting by finding it disturbing. I don't think she was. You speak of your mother as being so kind that raised voices make her cry, yet how much real kindness is there in giving a small child the responsibility of caring for a living creature and cursing at them for not being mature enough to do so? Letting the pets that you provide to your children as gifts to roam free so that they can frequently be run over, eaten by coyotes or vanish also seems to indicate a serious lack of responsible and humane behavior. Pretending takes on many forms, sometimes even the form of recounting a biographical anecdote veiled as humor to probe issues still conflicting and painful. I was sent a link to this by a friend asking if she was overreacting by finding it disturbing.
I don’t think she was.
You speak of your mother as being so kind that raised voices make her cry, yet how much real kindness is there in giving a small child the responsibility of caring for a living creature and cursing at them for not being mature enough to do so?
Letting the pets that you provide to your children as gifts to roam free so that they can frequently be run over, eaten by coyotes or vanish also seems to indicate a serious lack of responsible and humane behavior.
Pretending takes on many forms, sometimes even the form of recounting a biographical anecdote veiled as humor to probe issues still conflicting and painful.

]]> By: Taylorhttp://www.lifewithoutpants.com/guest-posts/the-problem-with-pretending/#comment-32007 Taylor Fri, 20 Nov 2009 21:07:00 +0000 http://www.lifewithoutpants.com/?p=4232#comment-32007 I was sent a link to this by a friend asking if she was overreacting by finding it disturbing. I don't think she was. You speak of your mother as being so kind that raised voices make her cry, yet how much real kindness is there in giving a small child the responsibility of caring for a living creature and cursing at them for not being mature enough to do so? Letting the pets that you provide to your children as gifts to roam free so that they can frequently be run over, eaten by coyotes or vanish also seems to indicate a serious lack of responsible and humane behavior. Pretending takes on many forms, sometimes even the form of recounting a biographical anecdote veiled as humor to probe issues still conflicting and painful. I was sent a link to this by a friend asking if she was overreacting by finding it disturbing.
I don’t think she was.
You speak of your mother as being so kind that raised voices make her cry, yet how much real kindness is there in giving a small child the responsibility of caring for a living creature and cursing at them for not being mature enough to do so?
Letting the pets that you provide to your children as gifts to roam free so that they can frequently be run over, eaten by coyotes or vanish also seems to indicate a serious lack of responsible and humane behavior.
Pretending takes on many forms, sometimes even the form of recounting a biographical anecdote veiled as humor to probe issues still conflicting and painful.

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