"Understand the Power of a Single Action"

My favorite quote all of time is admittedly from the back of an REM T-shirt that I proudly wore in 10th and 11th grade.  On the back it read, "Understand the Power of a Single Action."  Wow.  Who knew that one of my favorite bands would make such a profound statement, which would ultimately remain in the back of my mind for over 20 years?

The vintage quote was brought to the forefront of my consciousness this week when I was chaperoning a field trip to the Virginia Aquarium with my group of Critter Campers.  While we were looking at an exhibit, having a great time, I witnessed a child being struck by whom I assume to be his father.  Now, this is not a blog to debate the subject of spanking but I will admit that I am not an advocate of sanctioned hitting of any sort.

Regardless of whichever side of the proverbial fence you sit regarding the "S" word, what I witnessed was not discipline but rather a form of anger.  I found this troubling for a host of reasons, but especially because the offense seemed very trivial while the force utilized was quite significant compared to the petite size of the child.  I would wager a bet that he was between 2-3 years old.

I debated for the past two days whether I wanted to write my experience on the field trip, and I wasn't certain whether it would be appropriate to do so via the VBSPCA blog.  It was only when I awoke this morning that I decided that my single action regarding this incident would be to write about it.

Working at an animal shelter, we receive approximately 4-5 thousand domesticated animals every year.  Some of these animals have been treated poorly, and it takes a lot of love, consistency, kindness, and compassion to reverse cruelty to an animal.  While I am not saying that the parent I am referencing above was cruel, it is my opinion that the action was unnecessary.  I wish that people would realize the long-standing consequences of their actions.  Actions are accompanied with power; whether they come in the form of a kind word or gesture, a thank you card or note, a rolled up newspaper on a muzzle, to a swat on a child's body.

Let's all reflect on the power that we inherently have regarding the people and animals in our lives and recognize the importance of our actions.  I certainly will be paying closer attention to mine.
~Amy