A retired sheep dog now lives with the flock he used to protect. He used to stand against danger, willing to fight and, if need be, die for the flock. He lived to provide for the flock's safety and that is what drove him. Drove him to eat, drove him to sleep, drove him to fight. But now, he doesn't go out to fight the wolves anymore. He doesn't stand guard at night with the other sheep dogs, watching vigilantly for the lurking enemy. Now he's expected to live quietly among the sheep, following the commands of the shepherd, given to the flock. Sure, there are a few other retired sheep dogs like him amongst the flock, but they mostly keep to themselves. The sheep start to get scared if the old dogs spend too much time together. So, he spends most days alone, under the suspicious eyes of the flock, who, not understanding him, are always wary that he may pose a threat to them, despite the fact that not so long ago he would have willingly died for them. He's not a threat to them, but they don't realize that. They see his scars and his sharp teeth and they are worried by them. They worry that he might snap and hurt them, so they keep their distance. This distance causes him to isolate himself and to resent the sheep. What is his purpose now? Why is he here?
And so it is with the veteran...
*Photo credit- Jakub Rozalski*
I went to my nearby Pharmacy,
I went straight to the back, where the Pharmacists' high counter is located.
I took out my little brown bottle, along with a teaspoon, and set them up on the counter.
The Pharmacist came over, smiled, and asked if he could help me.
I said, "Yes! Could you please taste this for me?
Seeing a senior citizen, the Pharmacist went along with my request.
He took the spoon, put a tiny bit of the liquid on it, put it on his tongue and swilled it around.
Then, with a stomach-churning look on his face, he spat it out on the floor and began coughing.
When he was finally finished, I looked him right in the eye and asked: "Now, does that taste sweet to you?"
The Pharmacist, shaking his head back and forth with a venomous look in his eyes yelled: "HELL NO!!!"
I said, "Oh, thank God! That's a real relief!
My doctor told me to have a Pharmacist test my urine for sugar!"
I'm not allowed to go back to that Pharmacy, but I really don't care, because they aren't very friendly there anymore!