Straw Dogs?

STRAW DOGS -- "Heaven and Earth are not humane./ They regard all things as straw dogs." Lao-tzu (c. 604 - c. 531 B.C., "Tao Te Ching"

A straw dog is something that has been put up as a false front, a sacrificial item or a scapegoat.  Everyone hides behind something; an excuse, clothing, makeup, jewelry, an outward appearance.  How many false fronts do you put up?  Sacrifice requires that we give of ourselves, not just our possessions.  It is too easy for a person to write a check, drop a $20 bill or even hand someone our garbage and expect a tax credit for it.  When was the last time you made a difference by sharing yourself?  Scapegoats abound.  We see them everyday in every aspect of what is presented to us.  From psychology to the law, we are given every chance to blame someone else so we don't have to take responsibility for our thoughts or actions.  We must be prepared to accept all manifestations of our decisions.  Good decisions beget good outcomes.

My oldest son began school in a Waldorf-based educational facility a few years back.  We were blessed with a great Kindergarten teacher who possesses many, many years of experience.  She couples her experience with such love and compassion for every student that you can't help but become enriched by her presence.  It was her first year at our school and, unfortunately, her last, as family matters came up and she returned home.  Although she is not physically with us, we still hold many of her lessons dear to us. 

One of those lessons is how to take responsibility for one's actions.  It is done through a simple phrase.  Whenever you do something that is damaging to another person, being or thing, come from your heart and express out loud, "I will do better next time."  Sorry is a word that has been thrown around so much, it means nothing.  It has become a straw dog.  But to utter the phrase "I will do better next time" makes a promise...a promise that the next time you are presented with a situation in which you have the ability to choose, you will make a decision that benefits all involved.  Saying sorry has become a reflex.  It takes a conscious effort to make a promise.

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