Meet Gentleman Jack

 Jack is the biggest gentleman we have ever met, and it's hard to imagine his life being any other way, than it is, but it could have been over before it really started.  Over the years we have had many farmers pass by and admire him, some for the astounding animal he is, others to ask if he was for sale. 

Sell Jack? Nobody could afford him, he is worth his life, what cost is that? How do we define what he values his life to be? He is worth his family, who could afford to loose him? He is worth his friends, how could they afford to part with him? His worth is his to own, and for him to decide everyday what he does with it. How he chooses to interact with the outside world. He was brought into existence to only survive if he was female, but he fought against that fate. How do we put a price on that courage, that commitment to pull through awful illnesses, loosing his natural mother, what hubris to think we can define a price. What a disgusting attitude to believe in and hold over a fellow earthling. 

He is worth more than we can give him too 😔 He is worth not being behind a gate, free to roam in all the fields, he is worth choosing going left or right, not herded into the fields that are ours.  He would choose, if free, to stand in the road for as long as he wanted, he loves sniffing flowers. He would choose to itch himself along the sides of cars. He would choose to wander off down the chemin to the bluebell wood. I know without a shadow of a doubt, he would sit there in the luscious beauty and smell, for he always sniffs the bluebells and daffodils along the paths between pastures.

But we are all caged, whether we realise it or not. Our cages can be vast, or tiny and disgusting. We can have perceived freedoms within limitations, but we are all brought into line. I would rather we were all free to roam, but the majority of humans have no boundaries that we seem happy with, content with, we always want more, or something that belongs to others, other lives being the biggest example.  Those that rule us, rule by greed, and this filters down, so that the poorest souls are left with nothing at the bottom.

Until we are all free of this greed mentality, I don't feel there is a peace to be found. The change needs to come from the bottom of society up, for those at the top will never release their sweaty, fisted grip of control, power or the need to have more. The power we have is in our deportment towards life, our reserves of patience, hope and kindness. To shine until it becomes infectious and those around us have to take notice. To vote with our choices of consumerism and action. If the majority were to decide that we really wanted the world to be a kinder place, then it would be.