My goal is to live every day fully but Tuesday was as full a day as I can remember in recent times. It began gently, with my writing an Iris-inspired vagina monologue, it just came out. Then a discussion about a photograph of dogs outside of a hardware store touched off an intense discussion about safety, freedom, sensitivity and righteousness that drew hundreds of responses on Facebook. Cranked up from that,  I went for my  Tai Chi lesson, a change of pace for sure.

Then we voted in a local school board election, did some shopping, and then came home to find Ma struggling, unable to walk, and an hour later the vet was hear and we were cleaning out infected wounds for a couple of hours. A day filled with life, we collapsed around nine p.m. and spent the night listening to a Thunderstorm symphony, driving rains, lightning booming and banging. I had a midnight inspection visit to the barn to see how the donkeys and Ma and the sheep were doing. We all stood staring out at the downpour.

Of these things, the hardware photo bears some thought. I get lots of e-mails that I don’t care for, and I rarely write about them. This one suggested that my photo of three dogs in a car outside of a local hardware store was both irresponsible and “dangerous” in that it seemed to sanctioned dogs riding in cars and we were coming into mild and warm weather, and I should not run such photos and if I did, link to websites cautioning people on the dangers of pets in overheated cars.

I don’t like to challenge people who e-mail me. I know that people who send nasty letters are outraged and stunned when they are called on it, and I don’t want to spend my time in life arguing with people. And since I am generally in a more powerful position than people writing nasty e-mails, it feels like bullying  to go after them. Sometimes, though, issues are raised that are important to discuss. I am responsible for the words I write, so are the people who write to me. And the responses – one of the most intense responses I have seen on this blog – affirmed my decision. People wanted to talk about it. Why? For the same reason I wanted to write about it.

Animal safety is important, animal abuse is bad. I doubt there is anyone reading this who would dispute that. But it is very easy to lose perspective when you think you are doing righteous work, it is simple to become angry with people and to tell them what to do. This strain in the animal culture has grown. When a neat photograph of three happy and healthy dogs waiting for their owner outside a hardware store on an early Spring morning (I remember there was a frost that morning) becomes “dangerous” and should not be taken or published, then we have gone beyond issues of animal safety and into the real of freedom, free expression, perspective and proportion.

Our culture has become infected with fear, anger and judgment. That is why I wrote about, that is why there were hundreds of responses in a minute. We all know there are some people who mistreat animals and are neglectful and callous about their care. This is part of our life in the world, this is part of life happening. It cannot mean that every photo taken must be seen through this narrow and disturbing prism. That is just the pressure to censor in a different context. If the government tried it, people would be shrieking.

Anita, the woman who e-mailed me wrote back and said she was just trying to keep animals safe. I appreciate that, I am sure it is true. But I told her she had lost perspective, and that does not keep dogs safe. Animal safey is one issue in the world, it is not the only one. It does not serve the interests of animals when people come to associate animal welfare and animal rights with stridence, arrogance and self-righteousness. I hear so many people dismiss the very legitimate issue of animal rights because they are weary of the obnoxious rigidity and unthinking hostility of people who say they love animals, but seem to see that as a reason for mistreating, even hating, humans.

It does not do those three loving and healthy animals in the photo any good. As it is, they are quite happy and well-cared for.

I loved Tuesday, it was so full of life, a rich mix between ideas, spirituality, and the care of animals,  another day Maria and I came through with the very loving feeling of having done some important things together and in a loving and supportive way. I could use a quieter day but a documentary crew is on the way to interview me about animal grieving, and I have to give more shots to Ma. So maybe this won’t be the day. Thanks for all the interesting comments yesterday, I am loving the blog more than ever and we are working to figure out how to really communicate in this very new kind of community.