The Cost of Desire
The Cost of Desire: What We Learned from Our Puppy Experience
About 30 years ago when my son was 6 years old I was all around to see that all his wishes were fulfilled. Starting from pastries to ice-cream to toy cars to pizza shops.
Just to give him almost of all that he wanted. He could not have asked for more for I thought all his wishes were getting fulfilled !! I was wrong...
One day he did ask for something that I did not least expect. He wanted a pup - a German shepherd!
Now we were not pet lovers and so tried to convince my son that I would take him to my friend's house for playing with the dog and pup they had - once a week.
My son didn't appreciate the idea. We didn't appreciate his idea either!! But his desire prevailed. We got home a 35-day-old German shepherd.
We were not trained how to look after a pup. So we sought help from our friend who loved pets.
We learned to feed the pup but did not like when it passed urine and shit all over the house.
My daughter was 2 years old and she was playing with the pup, she developed urinary infection which lasted for almost 6 months.
My son's interests moved to something else and he was not keen in spending time with the dog. The dog now was 6 months old.
One day when I took it out for a walk outside the apartment but inside the apartment complex. That time there were a few of our conservative apartment owners who saw our fierce looking dog which barked at them.
The owners immediately passed a resolution that no dogs to be kept inside the apartments.
Off my dog went to our farmhouse. We built a kennel, instructed the watchman to feed, take it for walks every day...
The dog littered 11 pups. How to dispose off all of them? Then I spread word - German shepherd pups for free... many people took the pups away.
One person asked if he could take the big dog whom we had named Tina away along with 2 pups. This person said that he wanted it at their commandos center. I gladly accepted and gave the dog and the pups.
Here are three lessons that can be learned from this story:
1. Responsibility is a long-term commitment: The story highlights the importance of considering the long-term responsibilities that come with fulfilling a desire. A pet requires a lot of care and attention.
2. Consequences of impulsive decisions: The story shows how impulsive decisions can lead to unforeseen consequences. The family didn't think through the implications of getting a pet, and it led to issues like the daughter's urinary infection and the challenges of caring for the dog.
3. Letting go is sometimes necessary: The story demonstrates that sometimes, it's necessary to let go of something that's no longer working or sustainable.
These lessons can be applied to various aspects of life, reminding us to think critically and consider the potential consequences of our desires and decisions.
Overheard my wife saying to her friends, "Thank God, my son did not desire an elephant!"
#Leadership #Desire