Lessons from my dog on courage

I'm sitting in my backyard enjoying the afternoon. It warmed my heart as I watched my dog sitting in the grass keeping observant watch over the street. But then the thought came to me, eventually the day will come I'll need to put him down.

This caused me to reminisce about the movies I watched growing up featuring a dog and his boy. The two prominent movies were Where the Red Fern Grows and Old Yeller. In both movies the dogs courageously protect against a predator. I suppose not all dogs would do so, but I'm pretty sure my dog would, based upon past behavior.

It seems to me humans used to do so as well. In battles they would march in lines while being picked off. Or rush out of their trenches directly toward enemy gun fire. I don't think most humans would do either of those today. I wonder why. And I wonder if this change is desirable.

It does seem desirable that we seemingly have the ability to choose not to. We are not obligated by needing to defend our communities, whatever they be in their many forms. But in what other ways are we now failing our communities by choosing to not do the hard thing. In what ways have we not developed the character or the relationships that would have compelled us to do those hard things.

On one hand I'm grateful I've had an easy life in which I have not had to go through extremely challenging experiences. But on the other hand I wonder what kind of person I would now be if I did. I don't want to romanticize this. The trauma formed also greatly alters life.

We each face difficult experiences. It is harder to choose to face them if you are not compelled to do so. But volunteering to face them is the best of both worlds. The trauma is not as significant and it still brings about growth. Please let me choose to step into them.

Everything I need A life of relaxation A weak man I am