Running To Save

I haven't mentioned anything about the killing of 15 year old Lawrence King that happened in February, 30 minutes from here down in Oxnard, California. He identified himself as gay and paid the ultimate price.

And I haven't mentioned anything about the killings at Northern Illinois University back in February.

And I haven't mentioned anything about the gay Iranian student who was deported from the United Kingdom to Holland, where he's awaiting asylum. If he is returned to Iran, he'll be hung like his former lover...for being gay.

The year is 2008.

I'm pondering those numbers...truly pondering them.

2008

Isn't it kind of wild? 2008. That's just fricking amazing to me.

The year speaks of the future, but the rest of us seem left behind.

I don't want to get used to the killing. That's why I'm mentioning these atrocities now. It's been simmering on a back-burner in my mind for the last few weeks. And I've been waiting to hopefully express something other than outrage.

I'm still outraged.

But, my anger hasn't consumed me, nor will I allow it to.

A couple of weeks ago, it was a Saturday morning and I was walking the dogs down at the beach. I was thinking of the recent tragedies in Illinois and here...and everywhere for that matter.

As I walked, I wondered if for the 14 year old who murdered Lawrence King, his parents or guardians should be held responsible...that would put the parents certainly on notice. And maybe more parents would be more active in their children's lives, instead of sitting them in front of a television screen or a computer monitor...or whatever else it is that they let them do so that they don't have to be present.

And as I walked, I wondered why society doesn't seem more outraged over the killing of ANYTHING. The taking of life...it's a desecration to what created it in the first place.

And then I thought of how so many Americans rather be distracted and numb, rather than sincerely feel or better yet, DO anything about our world's injustices.

And as I walked, my heart grew heavier still with the weight of all this contemplation. And I found myself staring out at the ocean and apologizing to whatever is "out there"...

Apologizing for humanity's barbarism. Although, I have a feeling it isn't surprised.

Just then, as I turned to continue walking down the beach, a man was walking towards me. I leashed the dogs and pulled them closer to me so that they didn't try dismembering him. He walked up to me and informed me of a baby seal that was abandoned about 50 yards ahead in the rocks that were up on the beach.

He was asking me to be cautious in regards to the dogs frightening the baby seal.

His girlfriend was waiting farther down to warn people as well. He told me how they had called the marine animal rescue center the night before to tell them of the baby seal that was still alive. And this morning, they wanted to check to see if anyone had come to rescue it.

They hadn't.

So, the couple called again. And they waited and stood guard.

After he told me, I told him that I'd call as well. And that I would be cautious with the dogs.

I continued to walk and held the dogs close until we passed. I called and left another message for the rescue center. I was pissed that they hadn't done anything in well over 12 hours.

The dogs and I walked our usual length of the beach and then turned around to head back. I still felt weighted down and now even more so with the abandoned baby seal marooned up on the rocks. I walked on and felt more numb with emotional pain with every step I took.

I didn't want to cry. I just wanted to curl up.

I leashed the dogs again and passed the lonely seal that was clinging to more than the rocks...

And I encountered the couple again and told them that I was going to call the rescue center AGAIN and SCREAM MY HEAD OFF...which I did.

I started walking down the beach in the other direction. And as I walked I thought what a bunch of LIAR-FACES those rescue assholes were...And I thought about how people just don't fucking care anymore...they're just out for themselves. And I thought about how I wanted to find a place away from society, a farm that Will and I could ensconce ourselves in away from the degradation of human society.

And as I was bitching up a storm in my head, I looked up and saw a guy running in a white shirt and white shorts. He was running towards me.

As he drew near, when he was in ear shot, I yelled; "ARE YOU WITH THE MARINE ANIMAL RESCUE CENTER??"

And he said he was.

I felt a fluttering in my chest and I pointed him down toward the couple that were standing guard over the baby seal. I told him that he'd find the little fellow down there.

He thanked me and continued to run.

He ran down there to get that baby seal.

And as the dogs and I hiked up the steep bluffs, ascending above the beach, I saw him running back down the beach with that baby seal in his arms. It was barking and carrying on, which meant that it was VIBRANT WITH LIFE.

He looked up at me and through my dampened eyes I gave him the thumbs-up. And with his arms full, he nodded and smiled.

And he continued to run. TO RUN!! HE WAS RUNNING TO SAVE THAT LIFE.

And then I looked out at that ocean again, and this time instead of apologizing, I expressed deep gratitude and pride. Because I KNOW that we're not all bad. Because I know that I'm not alone. In my sight there was that couple, the rescue worker and myself; that made four of us, just in my line of sight, that cared about life. That cared about our schedules less than that life.

And I KNOW that there's countless more of you out there. And that restores my hope and my faith. And to know of the immense love that can burst from the human spirit is humbling to me. And it gives me GREAT PRIDE in what beauty we're capable of.

And then I thought with even more gratitude, those three down there on that beach...Well, they rescued more than that baby seal that morning.