One weekend, quite recently, OH and I took our dogs to a local country park called Ferry Meadows. It’s a wonderful place on the edge of the city where all kinds of activities take place from watersports to kite-flying. People walk their dogs there, of course, but they must be under control because it’s also a nature reserve. For this reason, it’s a good spot for us on a weekend when the local Rude Dogs* are out. See, many people around here don’t exercise their dogs at all during the week, but come the weekend they think ‘Hey, it’s a nice day, what shall we do? Oh, I know, let’s take Rover for a nice walk!’ which is a great idea, but sadly Rover is often under-trained and under-socialised and so damn bored with being cooped up all week that when he gets let off the lead in that great, grass field, he goes absolutely NUTSO. Taking the dogs some place where pretty much all the dogs are on-lead except the well-behaved ones seems like a good idea under those circumstances, because trying to explain why your dog is growling at someone’s overgrown adolescent Rude Dog who is trying to mount them and dribble in their ear at the same time, is often akin to trying to roll a ten-ton weight uphill only to find there’s nowhere to park it when you get there.
Anyway. As we strolled along peacefully in the sunshine, we passed a wooden sculpture which goes by the name of The Song Of Sisyphus, and though I have seen it a thousand times before, and I knew the story of Sisyphus from my Classical Studies at school, I was struck by the fact that it really was rather odd and maybe I could use it for a blog post one day, so I took a picture and then promptly forgot about it.
Today, I took my Princess to one of her PAT dog appointments and 50% of her ‘clients’ were kind of shut down. This place provides day care services to over-seventies with mental health problems, which often means Alzheimer’s Disease. The Princess is usually able to help these men and women open up and relate to her, if only for a short time, but today she found it difficult. The staff were brilliant with their charges, working hard to evaluate whether the lack of responsiveness was merely their mental health issues making themselves felt, or whether they were genuinely unwell, but I could see it was an uphill battle with very little reward. I take my hat off to these ladies, especially to the very young girl who was so damn gentle and patience with the elderly man in her care today, and took the time to look into his eyes properly, and try to hear what, if anything, he was saying at his usual level of -1 decibel. And they roll their stones uphill every day of the week.
So when we were done, I popped her back in the car and drove home. On the way, I was suddenly aware of flashing lights on the other carriageway, and stationary traffic, and there it was – a multi-vehicle accident, a bad one. There was a container truck parked at the side, with people sitting on the bank holding their heads. There was a commercial van slewed into the central reservation with it’s side smashed in. A muddle of other cars .. and then I saw him. A middle aged man spread over the tarmac surrounded by paramedics and traffic cones, and he wasn’t moving. Clearly he wasn’t dead, because they were working on him with fierce attention, and that’s all I saw because I didn’t slow down and rubberneck. The last thing the emergency services need is another accident caused by idiots trying to get a good view of the carnage.
But it stayed with me and made me think. I sent out prayers that the guy on the road would be OK, and I began thinking about the enormity of the task of the ambulance crews and the police whose job it was to keep the scene safe and get the traffic flowing again as soon as humanly possible, and the fire service, too, who are often called to such incidents and have to fight their way through gridlocked traffic to get to the victims needing to be cut free from the wreckage of their vehicles.
It seems to me that this, too, is like the labours of Sisyphus, who, as I Beati reminded me this morning, was sentenced to spend his time in Hades rolling a damn great rock up to the to of a mountain, only to have it roll right back down again. The task of the emergency services, bless their souls, one and all, is a tough, painful and unrelenting one.
So what I want to know is this: if you’ll pardon the pun, why in hell would Sisyphus be singing?
* When you hit this link, you’ll need to scroll down a little for the article. It’s called “He just wants to say ‘hi’”.
What a great post …….
These people are better than me, I sadly go to work to make money. I sell, a product that is very worth while, and helps people. But, I do it for money. I do not believe these people ever do this for money. They do it to help… I think that makes them better than me.
On a lighter note, it’s such a shame dogs have to be kept on a lesh, I understand why, but it’s such a shame. On my way home from the office, I pass a doggie yard, largish space where all dogs can just run and socialise.. do you think it would be wrong of me to buy a lesh, and just wander around, pretending I have a dog …….. ??
moons last blog post..Boobs – A great competion …
great rhetoric at the close . I’ve often thought the same, you ask some interesting questions of we the Bloggevilleans:Really rough work these para medics do . I had all my dogs in the park together today because I’ve been so wound up and frenetic since the fire. never again igs in all directions , my eyes darting everywhere. ha ha //sk outstanding use of the word by the way .. sk
Hi there, Moon – and welcome!
These people are better than me, too. I don’t even work for my living, all I do is volunteer for a few hours. You’re right, most of them do it as a vocation, and it’s a national shame that they aren’t paid better – wages are low in many areas where people work in a caring capacity. The emergency services are better off, but still, I think most people would agree wages should be higher.
I’m all for dogs being allowed off lead in a safe place, by the way, and we have some great fields very close to us. In the week it’s OK, the regular dog walkers know each other and the dogs are all fairly well-behaved. We all know when to put our dogs back on the lead again. It’s at the weekend when badly trained dogs (and owners!) are about that I’m reluctant to put my dogs in the position of having to defend themselves.
Thanks, Sandy – LOL at you in the park with all the dogs going everywhere! I can imagine! I bet they had a great time, though, huh? Thank heavens I only have two!
And thanks for the Sisyphus post that sparked this one!
It’s clowns that own the dogs .. they are the problem. I had a boxer once, she was wonderful, but hated other dogs, rescued her from a kennels for a few months, the breeder never ever socialised her, so she would kill another dog given the chance. I would never EVER let her off a lead or not be muzzled. I wouldn’t walk her when ever other dogs were about, meant me getting up at 6am to walk her, but thats the responsibility of having her. It’s a shame when your dogs are good, sociable dogs, other ruin it !
So i am allowed to hang out at the dog park ?
moons last blog post..Boobs – A great competion …
You can hang out at my dog park any time, Mr Moon! So long as you behave.
LOL!
Oh, and I meant to add – I had a dog like that once, too. As you say, not trusted off-lead unless in an enclosed space and muzzled. You have to be responsible!
I don’t know why he’s singing but you are so right about all the situations in life that are akin to rolling a boulder uphill and finding nowhere to park it! And those who respond to emergencies … that is a concept I cannot grasp because I do not have that kind of wherewithal. I am so thankful for them, and like you when I see a terrible event on the highway I start praying hard for all involved!
Jennys last blog post.."There Will Be …
Really great post Jay. Interesting story and scuplture. I’m glad I didn’t see the poor man and the car crash, I feel so concerned for people who are injured – it’s painful to see them suffer. I’m such a softy, that I’m just as bad if I see a native animal killed by cars. You’re very good to take your dog to PAT dog, bringing comfort to the people in care.
Jenny – I used to do it for animals, when I worked for a vet, but even then, there are images that just stay with me – even thirty odd years later. I have the greatest admiration for emergency workers.
Aussie – Thanks, Aussie! Yes, I’m still wondering if he’s OK. I might just have to go buy a local paper today. As for being a PAT volunteer, that’s the easy part. It’s little enough that I do.
Insightful and thoughtful piece Jay,you have a knack for it luv. Awesome and sadly underpaid people.
As to Sisyphus singing – at risk of stating the bleeding obvious here, the scupture dipicts the story of Sisyphus – like a visual poem, a song. I expect he did sing though and I suspect the Sex Pistols stole his lyrics.
Jeni – There’s certainly no singing in the original Greek myth, but if he did sing in Hades I can well believe the lyrics would have been attractive to the Sex Pistols! Anyway, I understand the analogy of sculpture=visual poem, but to actually put the pegs and part of a neck at the top seems a tad heavy-handed to me.
Jay – I didn’t say i liked it. LOL
It was an excellent post. It’s rather disturbing to see such people and more so when you realize that you can’t do much about them. But kudos to the emergency services who know how to handle such situations adeptly.
Scratch Bagss last blog post..This can’t get more evil
Thanks, Scratch. It is disturbing, and even more so with the new information I came across yesterday. It seems this man was a patient in the mental health department of a local hospital, and was seen on the bridge over the road shortly before the incident.
My heart goes out to him (critically ill in hospital right now, with head injuries and multiple broken bones) and his family and friends.
Oh No! I’ll send my prayers to this chap today. God Bless!
Scratch Bagss last blog post..Procrastinated Doodle Pet
Thank you Jay, very good post and very interesting picture.
It’s a strange interpretation of the myth.
Knowing our destiny, all people must die sooner or later,
therefore our one, of every body is his destiny.
Ciao