And then send it

We went out to dinner, but Ron got carsick on the way (didn't vomit).  He didn't even want a soda when we got to our destination.  I ate, though, took my pills, put his food in a ziplock like he prefers, and we came back home. 

I hunted down all the cats and medicated them.  I had a little learning curve on the flea medicine.  The top did not snap off, it twists open.  Once I figured that out I was set.  I gave Baby Girl the "low" dose, got Biscuit, and couldn't find Torbie anywhere.  I washed my hands.  Then I found Torbie in my computer chair.  I dosed her, she was pretty good about it (normally she struggles a lot).  I don't blame her, a lot of people tried to "scruff" her when she was in the shelter, I'm sure.  She hates having me mess with her scruff. 

I washed my hands again, and decided not to evict her from the computer chair, because she had been good and suffered the "trauma" of getting the medicine.  I sat down and watched Law & Order for a while.  After about an hour, Biscuit came and got in my lap.  I forgot I had dosed him and petted his application site.  My hand started burning.  I hurried up and washed my hand! 

I gave them another can of primavera.  I feel bad I will be out of town soon and unable to give them canned food (they would be scared of anyone I trusted enough to come over).   Torbie even got out of her chair when I started opening the can of food. 

Tuna this time.  Last I saw Baby Girl was gobbling away.  I remember one time I used a store brand flea drop, and I could tell it affected the cats badly.  They didn't really eat much for a couple of days.  And it didn't even work!   

So, let's talk about blaming the victim, and the victim's family.  I remember one story I read in the paper, back when I would read the local paper online and occasionally comment on the articles.  This guy was shot dead in his yard at 3 AM, while watering his grass. 

People immediately went to attacking the victim, what was he doing watering his grass at that hour?  Etc.  It got really vicious.  And remember the poor man is dead and his family is likely reading all of this.  Someone finally replied "He was an undertaker, he always worked nights, and would water the grass when he got home after work".  Then everyone backed off. 

After Ron's accident, everyone blamed me, because, after all, I should be awake 24 hours a day to guide Ron on a route he had done for years. 

I have seen a steady theme, since then, of people blaming the victim and/or their family for whatever awful thing happened.  It's sickening. 

I can only conclude they don't want to feel sorrow, or sympathy, for the victim and/or their family.  So they look for something to attack.  A recent example on Facebook, one of those sad stories of children being hit by a car when they got off the schoolbus.  Instead of offering sympathy and support for the family, they said they felt bad for the driver and then blamed the parents because the bus stop was on a curve.  The implication being, the parents chose the bus stop and sent their children there instead of another, safer, bus stop. 

Let me tell you one thing about riding the bus, which I have done my whole life, you have to take the bus stop you are given.  But instead they turned it into a savage attack on the parents, making it even worse by having empathy for the reckless driver that killed the children.   Now, hopefully, they will move the bus stop, but I thought that was horrible, and said so.  The person never replied. 

When you hear of something awful - and I don't need to tell you guys this because you are awesome - put yourself in the victim's shoes.  How are they feeling right now?  Horrible, stricken, whatever.  Guilt plays into a lot of accidents and deaths.  What would they want from you?  What sort of "energy" would they want you to send to them? 

And then send it.