The sheep, the wolf and the sheepdog

Once upon a time there were a flock of sheep. They walked around, one after the other, seemingly oblivious to the greater world around them and its perils; They simply milled around getting on with their sheepish-lives. When food was presented to them they ate. When water was poured into their trough they drank and when they were told to move through this gate or that, they did. The sheep didn't have much freedom of thought, or so they had conditioned themselves to think, they simply did what the other sheep did, moving where they were told to move, eating what they were told to eat, generally devoid of any autonomous thought. You see, being a sheep is easy, comfortable. Just follow along, do what you're told and when. Don't think, someone else will do that for you. Just focus on sheepish things like getting fat and tasty for someone's plate, or growing wool for someone's sweater. Don't concern yourself with independent thought and certainly don't speak ["baa"] anything that goes against the general consensus of the other sheep. Just be sheepish. image source

Now, of course, being a sheep is easy however, as with every story, there's also a villain. In this case its the wolf. The wolf moves about on the fringes of the sheep, in shadow, cloaked by darkness and mystery at times, and disguised in a clever fashion at others in a bid to resemble the sheep, to blend in. The wolf often justifies its actions by quoting the words of some greater wolfy-power, however in the cold hard light of day the wolf is nothing more than that: A vicious beast. The wolf brings pain and suffering to the sheep, death and destruction. The wolf seeks to alter the world in which the sheep live, and alas, the sheep allow it oft-times; Blinded by the directives and control of the more powerful and greedy corporate and media sheep. The wolf preys on the sheep's weakness, and failure to act, and the sheep suffer, unwilling to act in appropriate ways. image source

And then there's the sheepdog. The sheepdog sits between the sheep and the wolves; He protects the flock often delivering swift and brutal justice upon the wolf. I say he but the sheepdog can also be she of course. The sheepdog places himself in harms way, stands fast, back to back with his fellow sheepdogs. Sometimes a thin blue line, other times a camouflaged line spread thinly, but resolute, against the wolves. The sheepdog accepts his place in the world, the job he does, and he understands that violence is often necessary to protect the sheep; He volunteered for it and quite often lays down his life in defence of the sheep even knowing that many of the sheep don't like the sheepdog and the violent job he does. And yet, he deploys over and over again in defence of the sheep and in a bid to bring the wolf to justice, or send him to meet his maker. image source

The sheep are not grateful mostly, they deride and neglect the sheepdog when he or she returns home carrying physical and emotional scars. They fail to show respect to the sheepdog that he so deserves. You see, the sheepdog does a task that the sheep can't do themselves. The sheepdog provides shelter and a safe environment for the sheep so they can live their sheepish lives in relative peace and safety. And yet, even though the sheepdog often returns home in a bag or box to be buried with honour by other sheepdogs the sheep sometimes disrespect them, defacing their monuments and graves, their very memories, and marching [like true sheep] through the streets of sheepsville in protest of the sheepdogs and what they do.

And what to the sheepdogs do? They deploy again, and offer the required protection to the sheep so they have the ability to live or even deride and disrespect the sheepdogs in safety. The sheepdogs provide a safe environment in which the sheep can disrespect the sheepdogs banner by burning it and disrespecting the sheepdogs anthem by kneeling through it. Do the sheepdogs say enough is enough though? No, they are steadfast and resolute, they offer up their lives, physical wellbeing and emotional stability to protect their banner and those that live between it.

[- Design and create your ideal life, don’t live it by default -]