The Adventures of Stevie #113
These stories were told to me by friends and other people. Some of them
are true. Some of them are only partly true. Some of them should have
been true. LOL
My first post about Stevie ("Call me Stephen!") was when he was 12 and
in summer camp and was told by another camper. This was from a time
before computers would fit on a desk and when people communicated with
friends in other countries by actual letters sent through the postal
service. When children did this those friends were called "penpals".
Carlos is Stevie's penpal in Argentina and knows English. This is a
fictional contrivance to enable Stevie to tell us his stories because
he isn't here in person. I think.
All characters are fictitious, even if some of them might have names
that belong to some actual people, or act like people we know.
Stevie's school is for gifted children who don't fit in regular schools.
The stories may not be posted in chronological order.
Stevie is 13 in this story, at year 3 of summer camp.
The Adventures of Stevie #113 "Dog Communicator"
Dear Carlos,
All the animals at camp remember and like me. The dogs jumped on me
and slobbered all over my face like always. I almost stopped them, but
a thought hit me like a hammer on a nail, and I didn't. Just because I
could make them do what I wanted, should I? What right did I have to
take away their pleasure, just for my convenience? Their feelings are
just as important to them as mine are to me. Just because I have the
power to be their boss, does it automatically mean I have to be that
all the time, when it's not important? It's not just about dogs. It's
worse for other animals. Dogs like to be told what to do. That actually
love it, and really want people to do it. That makes it alright for
dogs, if we do it responsibly.
Other animals do NOT want to be controlled. I think forcing them to
do things for our fun, and making them suffer, is worse than killing
them. Is killing them bad? Yes and no. Everything dies. Every animal,
including us, eats other living things to survive. That means we have
to kill them for food. It's not right or wrong, because that's the way
nature is. Some people believe it's bad to kill animals for any reason,
so they don't eat them, just plants. But they do kill plants, which are
living things too. Why do they think killing some living things to eat,
is wrong because it's killing, but alright to kill other living things,
even though it's still killing? It doesn't make logical sense, so it
must be emotional. Animals feel pain. We know this because they scream
and writhe in agony when they are hurt. And a lot of them look cute and
cuddly to us. They are more like us than plants are, so we have
sympathy for them. People don't hear plants scream, and plants don't
have nerves and brains, so people think they don't feel pain. They do.
All living things to. Just because most people can't see, hear, or feel
their pain, doesn't make it not exist. It's all around you, if your
mind and eye are open to it.
We have to kill to survive. We have to live with that, because we
can't live without it. Hurting living things when we don't have to, is
bad. Not just for them, but bad for us too. It makes us less good, and
mean to people, too, because it damages our spirits. If we kill gently
and without making them suffer, we should, and only when we have to, to
survive. That might not be as good as not killing, but it's the best
way after that, because that's the way we would want to be treated. Who
wants to die in pain? I think if we get judged after we die, part of
that judgement will be how well we treated all living things, and not
just people. How wisely and humanely we used the power we had over
other forms of life, and not just how nice we were to our family and
friends. I don't know if we will live after death, or if we get judged
then, because it hasn't happened to me yet, but I think it's good for
people to believe that, if it makes them treat other living things
better, like it's supposed to. I just wish that actually worked.
So I let the dogs give their love to me the best way they knew how,
because it meant so much to them, and it didn't hurt me. Like Mr. Baal
said in the hospital, it was the least I could do. I wish I could do
more. I don't see how, in a way which makes a real difference. I did
discover something new about animals, while I was playing with them,
and testing it out on other animals. That don't forget people they
love. Ever. They don't forget commands they learn. The reason it takes
them so long to learn commands, is because the words don't mean
anything to their minds, so they have to learn to connect the sound of
the command to some action that the command giver wants them to do.
That isn't natural to them, so it takes a long time to make the
connection. They aren't as smart as we are, for things which aren't
built into them. Once they have it, they don't forget.
People sometimes forget even dogs have to have a reason to do a
command. It's very important while they are learning it, because it's
hard frustrating work for them. After they learn it, they like to do
them, because it pleases their master, and because work is a lot better
than doing nothing. Nature made everything have to work for survival.
We forget that pets don't have to work for food and shelter, but
biology says they should. A lot of them get very frustrated by not
working. They don't understand why, and couldn't tell us if they knew,
and people don't know either. I know, because I can feel it. A lot of
what we think are playing games to a dog, the dog thinks are actually
work duties. Fetch is work for a dog, and they love to work, so we
think it's play, because most of us don't think our own work is fun.
Do these ideas transfer to people? I think they do. A lot of people
have jobs, and work when they don't need to. Sometimes it's called
work. Sometimes it's called play, or a hobby, or volunteering. Whatever
we call it, it's work, and we sometimes put more effort in that kind of
work which doesn't give us money right away, than what we think are our
real jobs. I already knew this, but didn't know I knew it. People need
to work, to be healthy in mind and body. Giving people work to do is a
good thing, when it's important, and it gives them feelings of
accomplishment. We shouldn't feel guilty about it at all.
I set up a complicated game for the dogs, which was a lot like an
obstacle course, with fetching, and barking in the right places. They
learned it fast, and they absolutely loved it. It was hard work, and
that was why. To people, the game didn't have any purpose. Only people
care about that, and not as much as they think. Well fed animals,
don't. I was very happy for them. VERY happy, and they could tell I
felt that way, which made them VERY happy, too.
Happy is good. Paying attention to other things around you is good
too, which I had forgotten. After I finished with the dogs, a whole
crowd behind me applauded and yelled for more. I almost jumped out of
my clothes. You think I'm joking? I actually made a shoe come off! Chad
saw that, and my surprise, and grinned and said, "If we had been
mosquitoes, you would be swelled up like a pumpkin." I had to laugh
with him about that.
Mr. Insane wanted to know how I made the dogs do all that. Rod was
about to tell him not to ask that. I stopped him, and told everybody,
"I didn't actually make them do anything. I showed them some things I
thought they would like to do, from what I know about how they think,
and they liked doing them. I didn't use any magical powers or anything
like that, just my knowledge of dogs, and my love for them, which they
could feel. Don't think it was easy. I was concentrating so hard, I
didn't realize anybody was watching, and that is VERY unusual for me."
Chad said "I can believe THAT!" Rod laughed so hard he almost choked. I
stuck my tongue out at him, which only encouraged his hysterics.
Sometimes I make mistakes, just like everybody else. Other people
laughed, too. I didn't mind. It was funny.
I told the kids, "The dogs worked hard. Just like people, they like
to be praised for it. Who would like to come and pet them, and tell
them how good they are, and how much you love them? They will know if
you really mean it. Who will be first?" Mr. Insane nodded. I took 4
kids at a time, so I could keep track of things, to play with the dogs.
They all loved it. We all had a really great time. Maybe we will do it
again soon. But not as a shoe removal surprise.
I showed that part of this letter above, to Mr. Insane, before I'm
writing this part now. He asked me to give it to his secretary, so she
could type it up and pass copies around. I think she would want to
change what I called the camp director, who wants to publish it
somewhere. I told him it had to be without my name on it, or Chad and
Rod, because we can't have publicity.
Later, I had a private conference with Rod and Chad. I said "I didn't
use much mental commands at all. Just a few times to help explain some
of the tricks to them. I didn't have to do more, once I figured out how
they think, so what I told everybody was true. There is a lot more I
figured out about dogs I didn't say, because it would fill a book. I
was thinking that much, which made me not notice the audience." Rod
said "Are you going to write that book? I think it could help dogs, and
people too." Chad said "Yes, do it." I said "Maybe, if or when I have
time." Chad said "You could ask Dick and Tate to help you." I tried to
keep a straight face when I said, "I might. They do have typewriters."
Rod said "Like some foreign country's dictator?" Chad said "Better than
a tater's dick." That was too much. I had to poke him. So did Rod. He
poked us back, and we all rolled around on the grass, tickling each
other to tiredness. I love my genius classmates. I think I have said
that before.
Later that night, when we were all in bed with the lights out, I
whispered to Chad, while we were doing the usual ball play, "I loved
your joke about the mosquitoes. It was great. You are much better at
humor than I am. I like that, and I'm proud of you for it." Chad said
"Thank you. I'm glad you liked it. You know, telling jokes is hard
work. It makes me thirsty. I think I'm going to fix that." I could feel
him scrunching down under the covers, and then felt his lips and magic
tongue on my monster. I don't know if what he made happen, quenched his
thirst, but it probably did fill him up. I felt so used. That wasn't a
bad thing. In fact, he can use me like that any time he wants to.
Your friend,
Stephen
--
Grant
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