My dog died today. I killed him.
I’d like to think of myself as a good person. I don’t steal, rob, or murder anyone. I obey the laws of the land and pay my taxes. I do no evil as far as I know.
But I fool myself with that thinking.
I’m not a good person because I don’t do anything good.
I don’t go out of the way to help others. I’m uncaring and apathetic, and indifferent at times. I let wrongdoing go unpunished.
My dog died today. I killed him.
In reality, his destiny was set more than a month ago. He died the moment I procrastinated about giving him his monthly tick and flea bath. With that act, or lack of action, he soon got tick fever.
Even when I saw the symptoms starting to show with behaviour changes, I did nothing. It was days after he stopped eating that I took him to the vet. Then as his demeanour got worst, I waited until he couldn’t move to take him back to the vet.
He was hospitalised for four days before I was advised that perhaps he should be euthanized. I made the choice with a heavy heart, but one laden mostly with guilt.
I killed him, not with a lethal injection, but by the lack of action. If I had done what I was supposed to do, perhaps he would be alive today.
Who else have I killed because I failed to do what I was supposed to? What atrocities am I guilty of?
I’d like to think that I’m a good person… but I’m not. A good person wouldn’t allow things like this to happen.
You see, my dog died today. I killed him.