A bit of an update with me. As I've mentioned before I was having some difficulties at work but I'm very glad to say that I'm having much better job satisfaction these days. There's a very good dynamic with the group in the house right now and I've been able to focus more on case planning rather than just security. It feels so much more meaningful to me to be helping someone succeed with their goals rather than punishing them for their mistakes. I used to think that I wanted to work in prisons but I've changed my mind so now I don't know exactly where my job will lead. Even though I'm pretty happy at my job, I still daydream about writing for a living, moving out into the country, and fostering therapy dogs so that I can volunteer to bring them to much needed places. Pretty idyllic, I know
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This may seem kind of random but, I think that therapy animals are incredibly important and valuable to all of us but particularly those who have not had a lot of (positive) human contact. I have seen it. People who have been institutionalized in some way or another, people fleeing abuse, people are or have been homeless, the elderly, the sick... the most vulnerable of us. People who live in facilities where there are strict boundaries such as prisons or mental health facilities, those who are not entirely ready to hold and be held due to trauma, those who are deemed unworthy, weak, or dirty, and those who have lost connection. We can't always rely on each other for support and comfort when we need it. Luckily, animals do not judge and are a wonderful substitute.
They will not become uncomfortable as we cry against their warm fur. They won't cringe and turn their heads if we smell from days, weeks, or years of living on the streets or in shelters. They don't love us out of obligation or try to fake an understanding of our circumstances to placate us. They don't rub our noses in our mistakes. They will simply be with us.
As much as we imagine that we are the much superior beings, animals seem to have a high emotional intellect. D, the dog I've been watching is a complete goofball. She makes me laugh during every single walk. Some of the things she does seem stupid- spending a significant amount of time sniffing every single spot that another dog has peed in since, oh just the beginning of time; happily rubbing her face in the muck and mud; and grabbing the leash in her mouth and "walking me" just to name a few examples! But she is also in tune to some small things that I never would have picked up on. On two separate occasions with two different people she very stubbornly stopped and sat or laid down until the people passed us. Both of these people indicated to me that they were deaf/hard of hearing when I tried to explain that I didn't know what had gotten into her. I don't know if she was feeling the need to be cautious or what exactly her reaction was, but she absolutely sensed something different about these two. I've heard about dogs who can tell when people are sick due to their sensitive sense of smell but this really made me think.
Anyway, that's my life and those are the random thoughts swirling around in my brain. Thanks for stopping by!
