Ok, ok I know - there are many more diary-worthy subjects than this. And every time I think I want to write a really weighty substantive diary on one of those Very Important Subjects (and I am very grateful for the Kossacks who do that and keep me informed), I always keep coming back to little homely subjects like this. I guess that's just me - the Erma Bombeck of diarists hahaha.
So this crippled squirrel - he's missing his tail, he walks funny, can't walk upright or run like other squirrels - he visits my ground feeders kind of stealthily, because the other squirrels attack him and drive him out of there when they see him. He's kind of shaky even sitting - can't quite sit upright, runs/walks at an angle, etc.
My next door neighbor saw him too -wanted to take the beebee gun and "put him out of his misery". I said "don't you DARE". This little guy has obviously had some kind of major injury, survived all that, is plucky enough to survive the winter and stand up to many of his fellow squirrels, only to have some scary giant with a pellet gun come out in the yard and put him down? NO WAY!!!
My goal is to get this little guy through the winter. And so far, so good. I put food out for birds and squirrels, lately putting more food on the ground, because this guy can't climb the clothes poles like the other squirrels to raid the hanging bird feeders lolol!!
Ok, so, not to make a bad analogy and way politically incorrect here, but this little guy kind of puts me in mind of the less-than-able HOOMANS among us, - those in wheelchairs, with Down's Syndrome, other handicaps, and I ask myself, we just gonna let those folks go down? Not on my watch.
I feel very blessed to have my health and still have a roof over my head and a yard to watch the squirrels and birds in. And I want universal health care so that the human counterparts of my little squirrel buddy can relax and have a decent existence without worrying about how to pay for all that healthcare.
I actually know public schoolteachers (Republican, of course) who feel that money spent on Special Ed is "wasted", and that that's why public schools are in trouble. Whaaaaa? One of the people in my floral design class is autistic - he'll probably never get a job doing this stuff, but you know what? Some of his designs are really creative and better than some of the rest of us do (although a lot of them are really strange haha to say the least. but still. That 10% of his stuff is AWESOME.)
I look at this little guy (the squirrel), and I look at the blind lady that rides the bus every day, and I look at every one of my fellow creatures that doesn't have what I have, and I think "there but for the grace of God go I".
For the record, - my next door neighbor has sworn not to mess with him. Probably because I got up in his face like an outraged kitty hahahah.
Happy Holidays/Merry Christmas/Happy Winter Solstice/Happy Kwanzaa to all.
Love, Rose