If there’s one thing that galls me more than anything else it’s disrespect and not keeping your word...or is that two things? Anyway, what happened today made me hopping mad.
The local animal sanctuary rescue ex-battery hens from slaughter and rehome them, delivering them to towns all over Ireland. You reserve your chucks and the sanctuary delivers them to your local town. I had 10 booked but ended up with 16 when some ignorant, irresponsible, hard-hearted cretins booked chickens and didn’t turn up to collect them. We were the last town on the route meaning that having been driven around all day in a hot van, 19 little ladies had to be taken back to the sanctuary which is already overcrowded. To save the poor creatures this fate, those of us who did arrive divided up the remaining hens between us so that none was left behind.
I cannot understand the mind of a person who would do this, knowing that the entire scheme is run by volunteers who willingly give their time to save the lives of these birds only to have their generosity thrown in their faces by people I would gladly consign to some dirty dungeon to live out their lives on bread and water incessantly pecked by chickens. What ever happened to do unto others as you would be done unto?
If you find bare bums offensive, please turn back now!
My father taught me many things, most of which he did not practice himself, but one which has guided me through my long life in dealing with others is to try to leave people better off for having known you and if you can’t, at least don’t leave them worse off. If you can help someone, do it! If you can’t just leave them the hell alone.
What I admire most in others is generosity and I’m not talking just money, but that as well. Believe it or not, I was a girl guide in my distant past. I lasted 2 weeks but nonetheless. One of the guide's principles was 'to give and not to count the cost' and this I have found a worthy maxim to live by. A few years ago I found myself in a financial jam, needed 30,000 euro short-term but immediately, and couldn't borrow from a bank. I'd never borrowed a penny from anyone in my life but a friend offered me the money with no strings, no written agreement, no interest, nothing, saying that I had always given unreservedly and she was glad of the opportunity to reciprocate.
And that is what I love about human nature.
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The images are of the chickens I rescued today. Please excuse the formatting, I did my best but I'm knackered chicken-keeping.