Real Fortitude

: for·ti·tude
Pronunciation: \ˈfȯr-tə-ˌtüd, -ˌtyüd\
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English, from Latin fortitudin-, fortitudo, from fortis
Date: 12th century
1 : strength of mind that enables a person to encounter danger or bear pain or adversity with courage (Merriam-Webster Dictionary)

I happened upon a rather disturbing though albeit contemplative scene by accident. The scene was of this homeless couple walking along the sidewalk to destinations unknown to me while being trailed by their 2 pet dogs. 'So what is so disturbing about that?' you may ask. Well, simply put, the 2 pet dogs were both handicapped in the sense that they were deprived of both their front legs and yet were able to maintain a constant distance with the couple they were following. to give you an idea what they looked like, imagine pushing a wheelbarrow.. You have the picture in your mind?.. Good.. Now replace the picture of the wheelbarrow with the dog with the absent front legs.. rather disturbing isn't it? This image had bothered me greatly being that i'm a general animal loving kinda guy, with more inclination to favor the members of the canine species. I had honestly tried to look away, but my eyes seemed to be rebelling against the signals being sent to it by my brain. I have seen a dog walk home after losing its hind leg in an accident, but had seemed to display minimal difficulty walking (i guess this was because he had 3 more to help him along). But the image of these 2 dogs sans their legs had bothered me deeply.. until i noticed their expressions and actions. I'm not some dog wisperer or expert in canine affection or what-not, but i have been taking care of dogs long enough to be able to read some salient signs. And from what i had observed of these 2 dogs, as they were struggling to, for want for a better description, propel themselves forward along the sidewalk, they seemed to be playing with each other. I mean, if they had full use of their faculties, they would undoubtedly be trying to wrestle each other and trying to trip each other in their own unique canine way. I guess for them, there was no disability, but their games just became more challenging.

This is what i find so interesting. So many people spend so much money on Inspirational Books, talks and Videos when inn all actuality, they simply needed to do was look out the proverbial window and see what lessons they can get from Ol' Mother Nature. Im not saying their wasting their money, but rather im cheering them on further in the sense that they had decided to give it one more shot and not give up. Kudos to you people!! But then, there is also the other side of the coin. Im talking about the people who had given up all together and just decided to cash in their chips and take a loss. Ok, fine.. You guys may not be made of sterner stuff, in fact, some people may call you downright weaklings for that matter. What i dont understand is, if these 2 dogs can persist to continue even with their current disabilities, whats stopping you from giving up so easily? I guess for some, cowardice is the only way out. Its a good thing not everyone is a coward, and want to strive even harder for that extra mile. Its a good thing Nick Vujicic is made of sterner stuff.