WOLVES
I've long been interested in wolves. I was interested at first because I wanted to understand dogs better. I've been in love with dogs since I was a baby. I remember the various dogs I grew up with: Biff, Sally, Cisco, Brownie and the rest. I once thought that I had a special rapport with dogs which I should develop. Since I knew wolves were the ancestors of domestic dogs, I wanted to see what I could learn from wolf behavior. I believed that the knowledge I gained would enable me to communicate with dogs. My early studies were as simple as watching a video of wolves interacting with a group of scientists around a campfire: The video showed me how domestication began. One brave wolf came closer and closer to the scientists and when she began to trust them, she joined them at the campfire. Later, I began to read about wolves and visited wolf shelters: Places where abused wolves, wolves which had been "pets", wolves which had been kept in circuses, wolves which had been injured could recover and, sometimes, be returned to the wild.
In those early days of my learning, I was still somewhat tainted by the common fear of wolves, the myths of the vicious predator, stories of werewolves and the big bad wolf. I still thought of various disparaging references to wolves in describing human misbehavior, like wolf pack, wolf to describe an over-aggressive wooer of women, and so forth. I had read stories of humans attacked by wolves and simplistically thought of wolves' prey as somehow more worthy than the wolves. Then I began to learn some facts. For example, there is no recorded example in the history of North America of a healthy wild wolf attacking a human being. Similarly, far from being a vicious predator, the wolf hunts to survive and helps to maintain the quality of its prey by attacking only the weak and sick members of a herd. The wolf lives many virtues we humans deem praiseworthy: monogamy, care of the young, absence of greed, family solidarity, acceptance of rules. So why do so many people despise wolves?
Ignorance! If people were willing to learn more about wolves, wolves might be loved. The most important lesson I have learned from all this is to know before I judge. I've probably been guilty of acting from ignorance toward my fellow human beings. From ignorance, I have misjudged others, laughed at them, belittled them, scorned their approaches, scoffed at their efforts, even feared them. Now that I try to apply the lessons I have learned from wolves, I am more willing to accept people I once feared. I value differences, I love people who try, even if their efforts are for results I wouldn't seek, I try to build confidence in other people, I'm delighted when someone approaches me for help or advice, I seek opportunities to give a kind word.
Please try to think of the lessons of the wolves: If we look to the wolves and their virtues, their treatment of their families, their instincts to preserve, if we are loyal and live to a code of rules, if we value the contributions of others, if we seek to prosper by helping others, we will survive and live happier lives. If we are ignorant and do not seek understanding, we will misjudge others and separate ourselves from them; we will unnecessarily add to our problems and the problems of the world. Please respect the misunderstood wolves and the misunderstood people of the world: You'll be happier and you might find other people respecting you.
[8-23-99]