"My dream"

Life has gotten into the way, as it always seems to. I had a plan to blog about California and give a glowing review of John Robbins' extraordinary book Diet for a New America, but the beginning of a new job, coupled with wedding stresses and having a new car in the city, have left me tired and not as focused as I had originally planned. So, in the place of my planned posts, I will leave you  for now with this passage today from Diet, entitled "My Dream":

I have a dream.

I see humankind understanding that the spirit which sings in our hearts sings as well in the hearts of other animals. I see us realizing that there are many kinds of intelligence, many kinds of souls, many kinds of suffering and striving. I see us knowing that all creatures are endowed with the same will-to-live which we possess. I see us respecting theirs, as we would like our own to be respected were we in the less powerful position and they dominant upon the earth.

I see us grateful for these extraordinary companions.

I see our lives rich with animals. I see us with many animal friends. I see our cities sprinkled with wild places, shorelines, parks, ravines and creek-canyones, where wild creatures can live. I see all life forms working together in harmony, cultivating the full potential of the planet.

I see us appreciating the different needs, different kinds of intelligence, and different responsibilities of the various animals. I see us sensing the unique ways in which they feel, they think, they suffer, and they love.

I see us learning to treat with respect those who are, in the greater scheme of things, but our younger brothers and sisters. I see us realizing they, too, are expressions, in their individual ways, of the universal life-force. I see us acting from the knowledge that it is the same God-Force that gives us all breath.

I see us realizing that all God's critters have a place in the choir.

Have a beautiful day everyone. I hope that if you were able to read this passage, that you can take a deep breath in to really open yourself up to it. It opened me up, and I'm already a lover of animals.