PAWS FOR THOUGHT
Everybody's car park
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Everybody's car park
Time and tide
Dogs might fly
Signs in the sand
Dune walk
Launching out
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Knowing your place

The dash for the sea.....
seadash.jpg

The car park holds about 20cars and lies just above the beach. The sea beckons as soon as you get out of the car and Brandy is on edge as soon as the car stops.Within a few minutes he's down the steps to the beach and scrambling over the pebbles to get to the sand. This is his playground and doesn't he know it! He darts and weaves for a few seconds then makes for the sea like an arrow from Robin Hood's bow!
 
That's the norm! Today is different! As soon as I park I notice the garbage left around. Plastic bags,bottles,packets....everything imaginable just dumped. The Council refuse bins are overflowing and there's enough rubbish on the ground to fill a fair-sized skip.
 
On most dog-walking days reflections begin with a question. Why do people behave like this? Of course the mind seeks out various solutions to the question.In this instance I pose poor education, natural causes ( its a very windy spot) and breakdown of Council services. Finally I decide to put such environmental eyesore down to human failure to take responsibility seriously.
 
So this car park belongs to everybody! We're all implicated here. In various degrees we fail to live up to standards; either those set by others, ourselves or God.
 
Now that's a devastating thought. Even if I haven't broken any state/Government laws I have to admit that before God's laws I am guilty. I certainly haven't given him first place in my thinking and decision-making. Neither have I always acted responsibly towards others. This means his judgement upon my life goes against me. My own actions, words and thoughts have condemned me.
 
Enough of this thinking. Having a niggling conscience is disturbing. However failure to measure up is not something you can put on the back burner for ever.
 
I wish sometimes I had Brandy's kind of freedom. A dog's life would not be that bad after all. He has no conscience or responsibilities for others and as for his Creator he just revels in his creation! He lives each moment as it comes!
 
Sometimes I think that's the kind of life I'd like, but freedom always comes with responsibility for us humans.How to enjoy freedom with responsibility, that's the question!

One of my favourite singer-songwriters Jenny Andrew Smith sings about this freedom on her Repercussions Album. If you'd like a copy Click here

If you're thinking of a diversion go this way ......Click here

I'm glad Brandy doesn't like muffins...