Comments on: Lessons in Grace – The Idealists vs the Realists

By: houndstooth

houndstooth — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 12:28:33 +0000

Happy Birthday! May this be the beginning of the best year so far!

By: Pup Fan

Pup Fan — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 02:39:03 +0000

This is a beautiful post… you have a wonderful way with words and really distilled this situation down to some key points. We all do tend to act pretty crazy when our feelings are hurt – it’s so easy to go on the defensive. I know it’s happened to me in many situations and your post is a good reminder that sometimes we all need to stop, breathe, and think about where the other person is coming from. Very well said.

By: Laurie Eno

Laurie Eno — Sun, 18 Sep 2011 23:42:42 +0000

Very well said, in all respects!

I am an idealist by birth who’s developing a realist side because I have to. As an idealist, I’m likely to get myself into untenable patterns of thinking, acting and reacting that don’t always serve the goals I’d like to see met. I’ve too often been guilty of fixating on the ends and not the means, more than a few times to my own detriment.

As a blogger, I’ve been called out by some die-hard realists, and they have made me think, which I appreciate. I might not have appreciated it at the time, but in retrospect I can see where extremes of any kind must be tempered.

Your point about there being so few vegans/vegetarians at BlogPaws is thought provoking and valid. I struggle all the time with knowing how much time, heart and energy I put into advocating for a select (comparatively) few animals, while all the time in the back of my mind I think about the millions of factory farmed animals living obscenely short, miserable lives and worse deaths.

Much food for thought (no pun intended).

By: Jen

Jen — Sun, 18 Sep 2011 20:55:06 +0000

What a fantastic post! I think, in a very even handed way, you laid out the issue and addressed it, and that sort of thing is certainly needed!

By: Hawk aka BrownDog

Hawk aka BrownDog — Sun, 18 Sep 2011 19:51:34 +0000

Hi Y’all,

‘Nuff said. Well said. I don’t like to see my friends in Blogville growling at each other.

Y’all come by now,
Hawk aka BrownDog

By: Julie

Julie — Sun, 18 Sep 2011 19:20:49 +0000

I tend to be an idealist, I think it’s because I am so emotional and sometimes my emotions get the best of me. It seems like I have been getting lots of lessons lately in not being too quick to judge 🙂 Thank you for you level headed post and your wonderful perspective. I hope everyone is able to forgive, forget, and move ahead together.

By: Kristine

Kristine — Sun, 18 Sep 2011 18:07:28 +0000

The animal welfare world is one full of factions, unfortunately. It has frequently pained me in the past to learn that two groups, working toward the exact same goal, can be at such violent odds. It should be all about the animals. But so often we humans get ourselves distracted by things that only serve to hurt us all. While I have my own opinions, voicing them now, after everything, will do no good. I am glad I waited instead of writing something I would regret yesterday morning. The last thing the animal world needs is more humans at odds. We are all on the same side here, right?

By: Jan

Jan — Sun, 18 Sep 2011 18:06:48 +0000

This is definitely a “Lesson in Grace.”
And they told you your major in history wouldn’t have any value in the real world. :>)

By: Dr V

Dr V — Sun, 18 Sep 2011 16:57:29 +0000

I think this post should be required reading for all bloggers. 🙂 Well done!

By: Tom Collins

Tom Collins — Sun, 18 Sep 2011 06:56:42 +0000

Hi Pamela,
As we said in our email to you before you posted this, and in our post, THANK YOU. I’m going to print your post out, keep it on my desk, and try to live better from it.
I do have two small “historical” corrections that may or may not make a difference to how everyone views all this, but I think had a substantial role the underlying events:
– BlogPaws is less than two years old, not three.
– the 3 conferences so far were held over a period of just over 16 months.
Is one of the lessons “speed kills”? ;-D
Tom