It's Always About a Dog

I don't believe people change. I don't believe in second chances. If I were a Native American and had a traditional name, it would be Holds-A-Grudge.

However, I'm sitting on my couch watching Cell Dogs on Animal Planet. It's a show that chronicles prison inmates as they train dogs from humane societies and rescue groups that will someday help people with disabilities.

I find myself seeing things a little differently than usual. These hardened criminals are different people around a dog. They care for and about the animal and feel like they have a purpose in life and are contributing to society. It makes me think that people who have done horrible things are not necessarily all bad. I remember Dr. Winterhalter's Virginia Woolf class and the importance placed on there being neither good nor bad charcters, neither black nor white in real life. Most of life's a gray area and most people are both good and bad. Maybe some people are more bad than good while others are more good than bad.

These (mostly) murderers put ribbons in their dogs' hair, brush them, and treat them like treasured children. I think all dogs should be cherished, and maybe the inmates' devotion and care for these animals is what touches me most. I would normally write these people off as worthless and no longer serving a function in society, but maybe they just need more help and sturcture than others, but that's a whole other post.