by Adela Torchia I am writing with two unrelated matters on my mind, dogs off-leash and out-of-date food.
First, in response to the person in the December 14 issue of the Peak, who wished for “a trail of mouldy raspberries” for people who have their dog off-leash on Willingdon Beach Trail: what a sad perspective to say that “dogs are dangerous.” Some dogs are dangerous, but probably a smaller percentage of them than the dangerous humans in our world. In general dogs are so much less violent and more loving and accepting than many human beings. I’m glad that our local St. John Ambulance group, for instance, is expanding its therapy dog program, since there is strong evidence pointing to the therapeutic potential of dogs in a number of challenging human situations.
However, I realize that some people are afraid of dogs, or just don’t like them, so I would suggest that they ignore them, and then most dogs will ignore in return. If they sense fear or hostility from someone, they may respond negatively, as would we all. So cultivating a sense of detachment or indifference might help. My extendable leash is 26 feet long and my dog can reach those many people who smile and greet him with warmth and joy, which he is most eager to return in their direction.
Also, many dogs are much calmer off-leash since they are in a less defensive mode of protecting their owners when they are freely sauntering about, entertaining squirrels who love to tease them and then run away to the treetops. I do hope that eventually Canada will become as enlightened as a number of European countries which allow dogs inside many public places from grocery stores to libraries to public transportation. Of course, the owner is always responsible for any harm or damage caused, just as a parent is for a child.
The second matter is unrelated, but an ongoing concern of mine. I hope the food items past their “expiry” date, which may be donated for food hampers of various kinds, will not automatically get thrown out. Often it’s a “best before” date but is treated the same as an expiry date. I am among many ordinary working citizens who do not use the food pantry type services, but who would not dream of automatically throwing things out just because of that date. A “let-me-see-if-it’s-okay” attitude allows much ongoing use of food. Best-before dates simply indicate that the food is at its optimum before that, not that it’s bad to eat after that.
I shudder at the thought of so much food thrown out, because of these sometimes rather arbitrary dates, considering how many people in our world go hungry. Is there not some way to make these items freely available to the homeless or others on an at-your-own-risk basis? Or to pass them along to much poorer countries, as we do with our “expired” medical equipment, eyeglasses and so on? To throw out potentially usable food in a world where millions go hungry every day seems unconscionable.
Adela Torchia is a resident of Powell River.
