tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55532501364780143.post8358862806801645699..comments2023-12-18T17:32:03.325+00:00Comments on Kindred of the Quiet Way: Violent and gentle deathUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55532501364780143.post-42815254481204015622019-12-08T13:48:07.892+00:002019-12-08T13:48:07.892+00:00It speaks to me about the importance of living in ...It speaks to me about the importance of living in the moment, too — of not putting off until tomorrow the chances of today. Because we aren't that different from that seagull, really; you never know, do you?Pen Wilcockhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13818227904371811230noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55532501364780143.post-14735859399361644482019-12-08T13:41:20.056+00:002019-12-08T13:41:20.056+00:00Death is a thing that happens. It isn't necess...Death is a thing that happens. It isn't necessarily bad.<br /><br />I saw a seagull get run over the other day. It flew down to the road, presumably thinking it saw some food. It was so sudden and so fast that there was no time for the driver to react at all. I'd never fully appreciated the expression 'crumpled like a paper bag' before. I don't believe the seagull suffered for more than a microsecond, but I was sad for its mate, still perched nearby.Buzzfloydhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10907833292561328868noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55532501364780143.post-23637536647103322152019-12-07T14:20:51.027+00:002019-12-07T14:20:51.027+00:00Ah — I think it's the humans who are not the s...Ah — I think it's the humans who are not the smartest creatures on the planet. In such a circumstance, the cow may have panicked and done the wrong thing, as I often do myself. There's a moment of mental confusion under stress when you cannot think quickly, and do nothing. I see this time and again with humans(and other beings); they do the *exact* wrong thing, step *exactly* in your way when you're passing through with the hot tray of food from the oven, etc. They move away from where you are, but move into where you're going.<br />It may have been that the cow felt threatened by the tractor and wanted to challenge it — perhaps especially if she had recently calved (regardless of whether she was allowed to keep the calf, the hormones would still be in operation).<br />Also some animals need particular considerations — for instance, large birds like pheasants and blackbirds often don't move out of the way of a car in the road, and one is tempted to assume they are stupid. Actually the problem is that a large bird cannot fly straight up like a robin or chaffinch, but needs a runway in order to take off because of its size. As the car it occupying the runway, it cannot escape. The car needs to stop. <br />Sometimes accidents do happen, like with the cow — badgers are often killed on the road because they run straight out from the hedgerow into the path of a car; but they have very poor eyesight and tend to travel in well-know tracks from which they cannot afford to deviate because of their poor vision.<br />It's upsetting when we inadvertently kill an animal, but attributing the accident to stupidity in the animal is a mistake — lack of insight and understanding in the human is the problem.Pen Wilcockhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13818227904371811230noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55532501364780143.post-32267997615580555102019-12-07T13:03:45.904+00:002019-12-07T13:03:45.904+00:00Your story reminded me of a farmer relative who ac...Your story reminded me of a farmer relative who accidentally killed one of his cows who stepped right in front of the tractor he was driving. His comment was that he could never have expected a cow to not move away from such a bit thing as a tractor and instead step towards it when it was that close to it. He took it as a sign that cows are perhaps not the smartest creatures on the planet but still expressed his love for working with them. Elinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06401440551873070129noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55532501364780143.post-88586245203513966502019-12-03T16:42:21.873+00:002019-12-03T16:42:21.873+00:00Yes. Although such deaths are shocking, I find the...Yes. Although such deaths are shocking, I find them in a strange way comforting. It's when people (or animals) are trapped and suffer and have no way of escape or relief that I just can't bear it. Pen Wilcockhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13818227904371811230noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55532501364780143.post-84970134877810267392019-12-03T16:35:00.400+00:002019-12-03T16:35:00.400+00:00I experienced something similar a couple of years ...I experienced something similar a couple of years back. In the summer time, a seagull landed right in front of my car's tire as I was driving (slowing down for a stop), and it was so quick I couldn't swerve to avoid it. I'm not fond of seagulls, but I felt the slight bump and saw him in my rear view mirror. I cried out AND then cried hard tears, because I felt the weight of causing a death. It was terrible. (Although I could easily kill a snake and do kill some bugs with no remorse.) <br /><br />Also, in 1997, Michael's parents were both killed instantly by a teen driver who ran a red light at an intersection. The autopsies revealed details that let us know they died within a few seconds, but their deaths were so violent and horrible. We were jarred and wounded, yet we felt gratitude that they were together and didn't suffer long. So we saw the mercy in the way they died, even though it was violent.<br /><br />Life is so full of paradoxes. Julie B.http://www.justjulieb.comnoreply@blogger.com