Monday, September 26, 2005

The Cruelty of Humanity

So I finished work and was walking home today, and was walking over the metal foot bridge over the River Tone and watched then as some schmuck of a kid (cheered on by another little shit stood on the bridge) charged along the floating dock in the river, sending the better than 3 dozen ducks who were asleep on it fleeing into the river, he then stomping around to scare the couple who had gone to the landward side of the dock until they too fled into the main part of the river.

I didn't say anything, I mean what was I going to say? Don't do that again? Like they would have listened! But it appalled me. Those ducks hadn't done anything to him or anyone else, they weren't making noise, they were asleep or at the least resting quietly. Admitedly I'm biased. I love ducks. They have so much character, and feeding them is one of lifes greatest small pleasures. It's fun to take a loaf of cheap bread (it can cost as little as 23 pence, I mean that's nothing really, and the ducks don't care whether its the cheapie bread or top of the range bread. They go crazy for it all the same), break it up and throw it to them, watch them mass and swarm in the river, or better yet go to the weirs in Goodland Gardens and sit on the benches there and feed them at your feet, and sometimes from your hand.

I guess I don't understand wanton cruelty, I never have, even after being bullied for years at school. I've experienced more than my fair share of that cruelty which seems to be inherent in our species, but I cannot honestly say I understand it.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

thank you i have been a duck all my life and nobody has ever stood up for me before

Brakkart said...

You're most welcome!