“Woof, woof!” followed by short growls and enhanced by
loud barks…
I had just made my cup of tea. It was six o’clock in
the evening as I strolled out onto the balcony. It was a lovely sunny yet
chilly day in Birmingham. It really was a pleasure looking at the greenery and
the quiet canal that passed by my daughter’s apartment where I was spending a
couple of weeks.
The Condominium was normally a very quiet place during
the day and even the evenings were occasionally spotted with short bursts of
conversation that punctuated the stillness of the starry skies.
So, this extremely raucous sound made me nosey and
find out what was happening. What I saw was hilarious! Two brown Pomeranian
were having the time of their lives! They rolled on the lawn, on top of each
other, bit each other, barked, growled, and went round and round like a pair of
tornadoes!
While they indulged themselves in this game play they
tangled up their leads held by their owners. The laughter and happiness that
ensued from the untangling was filled with joy and I smiled involuntarily.
Before I go any further in my musings let me tell you
that I am not a dog lover. I don’t mind them, but I would not like to spend my
life or time with them. In fact, the brat of the family (who loves them by the
way) has been after us to keep a dog at home to fill in the empty nest but till
date I have stood firm.
In England , I have noticed that most families have some
kind of pet, could be a dog, a cat, or a feathered friend. In fact, I realize
that most young people even in India are going into this form of indulgence
(and the not so young too!) but as I have mentioned earlier I have no feelings
on this relationship status!
So, to continue with my narrative the two owners (I
shall call them dog fathers) both looked as if they were in their early
thirties were chatting and enjoying the dramatics as the two dogs went in and
out and tangled them as well as themselves. In fact, I wondered how they did
not fall! I was now watching their antics unashamedly.
After about half an hour of this the group was joined
by the doggy mummies. Both of them paid no attention to the drama but stood
around talking to each other while the daddies did the untangling and poop
cleaning. The sun was still high in the sky (It being British summer time) and
after sometime they dispersed.
Years ago, when my children were very young. We mothers
used to take them to the park to play. While the children played, we gossiped
and spent the time of the day without paying attention to what mischief the
children were up to. The fathers were busy at work, so they were not around.
But the equation is the same now. Now in the days of 'Work from home' the fathers are also around, and mothers too work from home.
Even with all the gender equality being forced down our throats I still see the
strict demarcation of chores based on genders. Not surprising that the ‘mummies’
want a break and do not take interest in the dogs while the ‘daddies’ have to
shoulder the responsibilities of the ‘children’ in the outside world.
As I grow older, I see a serious shift in social
norms. Couples prefer to have dogs rather than children. I suppose it is
understandable. They give unconditional love, eat whatever they are given, do
not have to go to school, there is no teenage angst and million other
advantages.
There is no right or wrong in this trend, but it is a
serious movement towards not wanting to be responsible (I am not stating that
it is irresponsible) for another human life. What will this ultimately lead to?
I believe that most Japanese power couple take a
conscious decision not to have children and have been doing so for more than a
decade. The result of this is the average age of Japan is about 46 years, this
in twenty years will lead to a population which will have very few young people
to continue the world. Is this what we are looking at worldwide?
Is this where education is leading us? To a world full
of autumnal people? Is there still time to rectify our errors? Why cannot the
young people be parents both to their own children and the dogs? Is life all
about having the “time of our lives”?
I believe that we are at the crossroads of evolution.
Whether we walk through the unknown “deep dark woods” or “the golden utopia” is
a major topic for discussion. I understand that it is good to have pets but to
let them be replacement for children is a mistake which we will never
understand now but will be apparent in thirty years .
I’m not
condemning anyone. Pets bring solace, companionship and structure to lives
lived in small apartments and busy cities. But as I sat on that balcony,
watching two pampered Pomeranians whirl beneath me, I wondered whether we’re
trading playgrounds for dog parks, children for pets and what that choice will
mean thirty years from now.
Perhaps our
balconies will always overlook green spaces. The question is who will be
running across them: our grandchildren, or our dogs.
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