A big thank you to everyone who has taken the time to read and comment. The encouragement and support and observations and information have been valuable beyond what words can express. Thank you.
While I've been maintaining this blog I've also been doing something else. Helping the bunnies out at Heartland Rabbit Rescue. It will soon be five years since I started going there and hanging out with the rabbits.
This is Nikki Blue...she's a baby and the newest resident at Heartland (she was abandoned because some human didn't "want" her). Right now she is pretty impressed with humans which means she really enjoys being held and getting headrubs...she'll often fall asleep while getting those human hand operated strokings.
When I go out, the first order of the day is to pick up Nikki and give her some good morning petting. I assure you that it is a two-way exchange because few things feel as good to a human as does having a bunny enjoy your hand rubbing their head.
I was thinking about some of the numbers from my five years of regular visits to Heartland. I'll do a few of them here and they will all be conservative estimates because I want any errors to be on the low side...so most of these are actually a little bigger than shown here.
An average of 10 potty boxes cleaned each day times 5 days per week times 50 weeks per year times 5 years means: 12,500 potty boxes cleaned. That's lots of bunny poop.
Pretty much each time I clean a potty box a bunny gets picked up and head rubbed a little. That's 12,500 bunny heads rubbed. I do head rubbing on an ad hoc basis too so this number is really very low.
About 3 hours per day for 5 days a week for 50 weeks a year for 5 years means about 3,750 hours spent at HRR as well as driving 25 miles round trip to get there which means about 31,250 miles driven.
The past five years have been the most satisfying and enjoyable ones of my life...absolutely so. Hanging around with the bunnies...and with Jeannie who founded HRR and with her husband Brad...has been and is....seriously fulfilling. And...my efforts are miniscule compared to theirs...they are at the rescue 24/7 every day of the year.
I'm not putting up the numbers to toot my own horn...I want to show how much can be done by people who are retired and who chose to devote a little time and effort to helping. I would urge you, even if you aren't retired, to spend a few hours a week (more if you can) helping out Earthlings who don't happen to be human and are victims of our callousness and obliviousness and cruelty and neglect. It's a truth that quite a bit can be accomplished just by doing a little as long as you keep on doing that little bit for a long time. Every little bit helps...especially if it is persistent and consistent.
Some people who want to help the harmed Earthlings are, for various reasons, unable to do so. It's sort of up to us who are able to help to carry the load for those who can't...in addition to making our own contribution. So...when you go help...remember that you're doing some helping for those who can't...too. Ok?
I assure you that whomever you help will appreciate it and I also assure you that you will get much much more out of it than you can ever imagine.
And...if you're of a mind to...do a blog...it is an adventure.
Thanks for reading and commenting and thank you for any and everything you do for our sister/brother Earthlings.
6 comments:
And thank YOU for your tireless work here - a great example to all of us!
Great article, it’s so good to know people like you and others at heartland sanctuary care about rabbits and offer assistance and affection to these wonderful creatures who are so often abused and neglected. I enjoyed reading your article. Nikki Blue is just so lovely, what a sweet little rabbit, but than they all are. People do not appreciate what amazing animals rabbits are.
Five years is a long time to be blogging, though a relatively recent visitor I have found your articles very informative and look forward to reading more.
Thank you for caring about animals in this uncaring world of ours.
Thank you for commenting David and Christine.
David: I appreciate the thanks and hope others will give back to those we've used and harmed.
Christine: You're welcome.
You're spot on about the phenomenal beings that are rabbits. When I first started at Heartland, Jeannie would talk a bit about there being something almost magical about bunnies. I had no idea what she was referencing. Now, dimly...for I have much left to learn, I do.
I'm glad you find the writing useful to you. The writing certainly is beneficial for me in terms of helping me clarify my thoughts and comprehensions.
You already know that I agree with you in most things and that I enjoy reading your blog. Congratulations on the longevity of your blog and the wonderful difference you make in the lives of the bunnies at Heartland and the lives of all animals. Nikki is a sweetheart! I saw a man with a rabbit in a harness at the park the other day, a big tan rabbit who seemed totally at ease. That's not something I see every day!
Hey veganelder, congrats on your excellent blogging adventure! Five years is apparently a long time in the vegan blogging world, so I'm glad you've stuck at it (I always enjoy reading your posts even if I'm not able to comment as quickly as I'd like), and am grateful for the company. Keep 'em coming! :)
And thank you for all the bunny rubs and potty box cleanups -- wow, that's a lot of boxes! I'm so thankful that at least a few rabbits get to enjoy their rabbithood and even learn that not all humans are arseholes. (There was a really depressing article in my feedly index recently about an investigation at a horrendously abusive rabbit processing plant that made me even more grateful for all the fine folk who volunteer at bunny sanctuaries.)
You're so right that every bit helps. Every pat on the head, and every blog post. Thanks again for doing more than your fair share my friend! :)
Thank you for commenting Joan and HGV.
Joan: Thank very much you for reading and your comments. I'm glad you enjoyed Nikki. :-)
HGV: Thank you greatly for reading and I'm glad I've stuck with it too. Your comments are part of what makes it worthwhile. As for volunteering...it is a truth that I get back more than give. :-)
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