I have always believed there had to be a special place for people who inflicted cruel harm on animals with a personal agenda as the justification. Recently I began to see there may be a correlation between the heartless and a certain member of the animal kingdom that helps make sense of a senseless world at times. And it’s a perfect solution.
I’m an animal lover — not the crazy kind who does extreme things to draw attention to my cause — but the kind who has numerous creatures living in and around our little farm and all from a less-than-happy former life. There are bunnies who were orphaned through a heartless cull, three hens who came from an overcrowding situation, a retired (and tired) racehorse, an abandoned, very vocal and entertaining Siamese cat and even a rooster who is the survivor of many dog attacks (see How To Love A Rooster). The wild animals seem to know our home is a safe haven as well, which is evident from the amount of netting on our shrubs and flowers and the building rooftops alive with mega-species of birds.
All in all, it’s a happy place for the innocent and we are equally happy to provide a little oasis for a few who would not have otherwise survived in a cruel human world. There are a lot of folks out there like myself who do our best to save what we can, but unfortunately there are too many who do the opposite. Perhaps I try to make myself feel better by believing that God (or whomever the powers may be that you believe) has a “special assignment” for those that have inflicted harm on the innocent.
It came to me through a conversation with some friends as we watched the turkey vultures making lazy circles in the sky, always on the lookout for something festering on which to dine. These creatures are both feared and loathed but also studied in awe as they take their place in the food chain, providing a necessary link that we often take for granted. Vultures may be the only carnivores in nature that do not kill, they inflict no harm on any living being and go about their business cleaning up after our mistakes and the animal kingdom’s leftovers.
They are often described as raptors, feasting on road kill and the “undesirable parts” left behind by other predators. This is the survival diet of vultures. As an added benefit, they don’t damage trees, dig holes, or make a racket like crows, magpies or ravens. And they don’t get sucked into jet engines. So what is the downside of being a vulture in a world where humans keep their distance and they are left to live their life as nature had intended?
Take a close look at a vulture. Revolting! They make a turkey look good, don’t they? What could these poor creatures have done to deserve the bald head, elongated features and droopy eyes? And to be relegated to eating decomposing meat to stay alive! That’s when it hit me. This is a just assignment in the afterlife for a human who spent their allocated time on earth inflicting harm on others – particularly on children and animals. This is the perfect solution as a learning tool so the next life would be lived more in gratitude than in harm. Clean up the mess, do no harm to the environment, be a good guy/girl – but you don’t get to look good at the same time! Ugly is what ugly has done.
As the cruel go to meet their maker at the end of their time on earth, believing their conscience to be clear, they are stopped at the pearly gates and a suitcase and an envelope are handed to them. “Hold it right there! This is a return ticket to earth to fulfill the requirements to become a good soul,” says the guardian at the gates. “And this bag is your Carrion. Come back when you are ready.”
Perfect.
Photo Credits
“Dog Loves Hugs” by Noel Zia Lee
“Turkey Vulture”
From Laughable Lyrics: A Fourth Book of Nonsense Poems, Songs, Botany, Music, etc. by Edward Lear. Creative Commons. Public Domain. zorger.com.
Awesome Wanda….makes perfect sense with a good laugh to go along with it….I can picture several people I knew throughout my life picking at rotten flesh and it seems sooooo …..justified!!
Good Job old friend, keep up the good writing!! Love you!
I really enjoyed reading this article as along with a good chuckle it added food for thoughts to what I learned lately about vultures. Just lately I finished reading a book by South African Deon Meyer, titled “Blood Safari”. The book, though a work of fiction, makes the reader aware of the incredibly important role vultures play, disposing quickly of animal remains in order to keep disease and contamination away from other predators. I did not know that different varieties of vultures are equipped physically for different tasks, some for ripping and eating skin and tendons, some for getting right inside very large animal remains and consuming what others would not, some just for eating small bones etc… until all eventually is taken care of. The author brings our attention to the fact that each group waits its turn to get to its designated function. What a master plan! The instructions at the Pearly Gates are obviously quite specific. Thank you for a good read and bless you for loving those who need it most!
I loved learning about why the vultures have the bald heads and necks as it makes so much sense (easier and cleaner access to the interior of carcasses). Mother Nature is one very smart cookie and like you said in your comments, eventually it is all taken care of. Now if we could just learn to let her do her job and stop interfering. All the best to you and thanks so much for your comments!
Thank you for a great laugh this morning 🙂
and thank God (or whomever the powers may be that you believe in) for giving you the inspiration to write this article … including the play on words !
IT is truly a wonderful article!
Every person who even shows the slightest sign of wanting to be cruel to animals should be made to read your article… any one who does, should be made to read it 100 times a day
🙂
Thank you also for helping all these animals get over the trauma they endured!
Like my sister often says “God Bless you real good”
Carol Namur
Thank you Carol! It warms my heart and encourages me to keep writing about things that are important when I hear such kind words from others who care so much about animals – they need our help and if “I Had A Dream”, it would be one day that humans would evolve enough to live peaceably with the animal kingdom rather than destroying it. All the best to you………..
What a GREAT analogy, it makes complete sense to me and is a perfectly just assignment 🙂