January 10. 2009 Write About a Wound

Something happened to me that left a scar. I have always felt that people were basically good. In my naivete' I thought that evil people, those with evil agendas and cruel intentions stand out in a crowd. You recognize them immediately. I believed with all my heart that karma would always win out.

But that was before what I now call "The Hanley Incident". They laid me off from my job as an animal-assisted therapist. I didn't care, I already had another job all lined up. But then, they took away my Murphy. To this day I don't know why I let them. I don't know how I could have allowed them to take away my power, my will, my determination, and then my Murphy. Why did I give up so easily? I was outnumbered, yes, but right was on my side and Mother always told me that Right Makes Might. I take full responsibility for not being stronger, more willful, more creative in my resistance. But how and why would a person deliberately separate a loving dog and his guardian? Why would someone do that? The only logical answer is that they are evil people. Dr. Barbara Krantz took away my dog with the support of security guards (did I see a gun? I think I saw a gun!) I lost before I even started to fight. I was in shock. And so I was terribly wounded. This was an open wound that would stay open and oozing and infected until I got my Murphy back. This wound, this psychic wound, may have healed up somewhat, but it left a scar. A big, deep, angry-looking scar. And I wear that scar proudly because it means I learned something. I learned that people are good, that's true, but that people, when given half a chance, will hurt you badly if they can. And they will. I learned that even doctors and other educated people will do evil things if they think they can get away with it. I learned not to trust anyone ever again. I always look for the veil and, upon seeing it, attempt to peer beneath it to see what's there. I need to know what is there because it may be a lie, or an evil intent.

I was a happy-go-lucky soul, full of whimsy and humor. And in some ways I still am. But it's all changed now. I am not so happy, not so lucky, and whimsy, well, there's no time for that. I still have my humor though, and no matter how evil the adversary, they can't take that away from me.