THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, November 19, 1995 TAG: 9511170748
SECTION: SUFFOLK SUN PAGE: 07 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Opinion
SOURCE: By RON SOBEL
LENGTH: Medium: 52 lines
I used to have a talking dog.
Well, that's what I would tell my two preteen sons back then, when they would occasionally grumble about life's inequities. Both boys would complain when they were prohibited from doing something totally bizarre, like spending their life's savings on Nintendo games or comic books. They felt that since it was their money, any parental interference was unreasonable.
They protested by exclaiming, ``It isn't fair!'' I replied that life isn't fair - it's ``ruff!''
I then explained that when I was a kid, I used to have a talking dog.
I would say to my dog such things as, ``How's life treating you?'' and the dog would say, ``Ruff!'' Or I would say, ``What do you think of the world situation?'' and the dog would say, ``Ruff!''
By the time I got to the third question, which was, ``How's the weather today?'', both kids would groan and say, ``OK, Dad, we get the point.''
The point I was trying very hard to teach them is that life really is rough, and we shouldn't waste our energies complaining when we don't get our way, because life also is too short. I would tell them that they should be thankful for the substance of their lives and not get hung up on the supply-side.
I used to bring this up, usually when we were approaching Thanksgiving, because I wanted them to understand what that day is really about.
It's not only about the meager harvest that forced the Pilgrims and Indians to share a common meal together in order to survive, it's also about the bountiful riches that we Americans now enjoy but sometimes take for granted as being limitless.
Nothing is limitless. That's the real point: whether Nintendo games or comic books or cash for such things, or especially our natural resources, nothing is limitless.
Let's teach our children (and remind ourselves) to be grateful this Thanksgiving for all that we have, and to think really hard on Nov. 23 about how we can best accommodate this old planet of ours in the future.
I'll bet if I could ask that talking dog I used to have what our chances for survival will be at the rate we're going, I know what he'd say!I used to have a talking dog. MEMO: Mr. Sobel, of Grove Avenue, Suffolk, retired in 1993 with 37 years of
federal service. He was in the Air Force for 12 years and a Defense
Department civilian employee for 25 years. by CNB