by Kathryn Lehotsky-Wildlife Artist
Excerpts from the memoir: Guardians of the Road, by Kathryn Lehotsky-copyright 2015
The following are true stories of the life and times of a Guardian of the Road. It is my story, but I hope those who love animals and are dedicated to their well-being, the way I am, will use this blog as a guide to learn how they can become a Guardian of the Road too!
A Guardian of the Road is someone who takes responsibility for creatures they come across that are in need of help. Guardians will do anything within reason to rescue animals that are in danger, lost, ill, hurt, or hungry. Their mission is to serve as advocates for those creatures.
When it comes to the treatment of animals, some people are more sensitive than others.
And some, like me, are highly sensitive.
I hope you will feel free to smile while reading these blog posts, as many of my experiences with animals are often funny and heartwarming. I warn you, though, not all the stories I will tell you are humorous. But they are all true.
DEFINITIONS
GOTR-GUARDIANS OF THE ROAD
There are special people on this earth who truly love animals. Millions of humans have a soft spot in their hearts for what I call ‘the creatures of the earth.’ Creatures can be animals, insects, birds, reptiles, fish, tame pets, wild animals we treat as pets, and those who live in the wild on this planet of ours. I have read that in this country alone, there are 77 million dog owners and 93 million cat owners. However, Guardians of the Road go far, far beyond loving pets.
Here are two simple rules Guardians must do to fulfill their responsibilities as a GOTR:
1. Guardians take responsibility for creatures they believe need help and act as their advocate.
2. Sometimes, Guardians say a simple prayer for animals who have passed away to help their spirits go home and to recognize them for their time on earth.
Rule 1: Guardians take responsibility for creatures they believe need man’s help and act as their advocates. Why do I call these special people Guardians of the Road? Well, life is a road we all take, both humans and the creatures on earth. Along that road, we humans come across animals in trouble. When a person who is NOT a Guardian sees an animal in distress, maybe they try to help, or maybe they look away. It’s not because they aren’t good people, but because our lives go by so fast that some do not stop and do what I believe is right. Here is an example of what I mean in Rule 1:
Several years ago, a popular commercial on television caught my eye. The intended purpose was to sell the viewer a model of a ‘safe’ SUV. The night is dark and mysterious, and it’s raining hard. In the SUV are a well-dressed man and woman, and we can spot tickets to an event on the dash. They both look like good folks to me on their way to a nice evening out. Suddenly the man sees a wet dog in the middle of the road. The dog is an amazing actor; you can see by his face and how his tail curls around him that he is scared and maybe a stray. Thank goodness they chose such a responsive SUV because the man slams on his brakes and stops before hitting the dog. The part I like best is the next scene. The man is as wet as the dog, and both are inside the car as it moves away. You know they’re not going to the event anymore. In your heart, you also believe they are going to take the dog home to live with them happily ever after. That man did a Guardian thing. He carried out Rule Number 1!
Not all sensitive people are Guardians, but all GOTRs are sensitive beings. Each person has a certain level of compassion when it comes to the treatment of animals. Due to the condescending look on her face, I am not convinced that the woman in the car would’ve taken the dog home. Although most likely a good person, she has a non-Guardian quality about her. It would be marvelous if we were all Guardians of the Road, like the man in the SUV. Nevertheless, some people do not possess that special dedication to animals in need of an advocate.
Rule 2: GOTR says a simple prayer for those creatures who have died to send their spirits home and remember them for their time on earth. This duty of a GOTR has to do with ‘spirituality.’ Rule 2 is not connected to any religion or faith or culture, although many Native American Indian tribes, among other faiths, subscribe to this belief. Yes, there is an element of spirituality involved in the duties of a GOTR, and for that, I offer no apology. I believe that, just like humans, creatures can go to heaven, or the other world, or the happy hunting grounds, or nirvana… whatever any human wants to call life after death. Some say that man must prove himself along the road of life to deserve such a reward. However, animals come into the world and leave it innocent. When they die, creatures deserve a simple prayer to honor their life on earth and to send their precious spirits home. Sometimes a GOTR like me close our eyes for a second, which might be enough. Most often, I also say...poor little thing. But sometimes, the death of an animal touches us so deeply that an honest-to-goodness, full-pledged prayer is necessary. For some, this may be an optional duty of a Guardian, but whenever I have been present at the death of an animal, I always say a simple prayer.
TOP: THE OTHER PEOPLE
TOP are The Other People who live on this planet. They are levelheaded folks who keep order in the world but are not generally out-of-the-closet sensitive people with respect to animals. In the amusement park of high sensitivity, TOP ride the kiddy train, and can be wonderful people who care about all sorts of things, including creatures. It is unusual, but TOP can be Guardians of the Road; they do not show it publicly!
PWAOS: PEOPLE WHO ARE OFTEN SENSITIVE
(Sounds like Paws)
PWAOS (remember paws) People Who are Often Sensitive. PWAOS are usually very comfortable with themselves, just like TOP. Often caring individuals who are sensitive to the world around them, PWAOS are generally kind people. At the amusement park of sensitivity, they ride the junior roller coaster. They feel the moderate highs and lows of the ride but do not go off the track to the real highs and lows. Unlike HOSP, PWAOS seem to be more in control of their emotions. It would be easy for a PWAOS to be, or become, a Guardian of the Road.
Do not worry about memorizing the above, as most of these posts have to do with the final category, HOSP.
HOSP: HIGH ORDER SENSITIVE PEOPLE
Sounds like Wasp with an H
HOSP are High Order Sensitive People. Think of them as PWAOS to the highest degree. High Order Sensitive People are almost always folks who love animals, are extremely sensitive and show it in public. Some HOSP love animals more than they like most people. Sometimes those same HOSP have problems connecting with humans; therefore, it’s easy to understand their devotion to animals. Pets give them the unconditional love they will seek all their lives.
In this blog, sometimes I will refer to the humans in this category as simply High Order. High Order people are more than sensitive; they are hypersensitive. Their sensitivity levels are complex, and their feelings are right on the surface, ready to show themselves in all their glorious manifestations…and in the blink of an eye.
At the amusement park of sensitivity, HOSP chooses the monster roller coaster ride, which includes great highs and deep lows. They feel everything intensely, both good and bad. Healthy High Order humans recover from the highs and lows quickly, but they have an exciting life, feeling deeply their roller-coaster lives. Unhealthy HOSP can have trouble managing the highs and lows and may end up in a world of hurt.
A CLOSER LOOK AT A HOSP LIKE ME
When my parents came together to create me, all the sensitive genes must have been right up front in the race. They charged into my genetic makeup like a tidal wave, shoving away the other less sensitive genes to take control of my being. Every fiber of my body has the word sensitive written all over it. If there were a test for such things, I would score in the 99th percentile!
Let me tell you an important fact: scores of people like me are HOSP. Nevertheless, I believed myself unique for most of my life. When I began to realize there are other HOSP in the world, I can’t tell you how much it relieved my mind. This knowledge makes being a HOSP a lot easier, I promise. When the rest of the HOSP discovers this fact, I think they will be as thrilled as I was.
Having an abundance of sensitive genes has been a blessing and a burden throughout my personal life and professional career. Overall, it has been a positive experience. However, people like me can sometimes have problems adjusting to the often cold, cruel, and insensitive world. Nonetheless, the bottom line is that I am thrilled to be highly sensitive, but it has taken decades for me to come to this realization.
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THE CHARACTERISTICS OF HOSP
High Order Sensitive People are born with the condition and have it all their lives. High Order people can be female and male! Yes, that’s right, men are HOSP, too. Some of my best male friends are HOSP. Many gays and lesbians are HOSP, of course. And most relish the fact!
HOSP can be liberals, conservatives, libertarians, socialists, or whatever; it makes no difference. This sensitivity level has nothing to do with politics or religion. We are Native American, Irish, German, French, Polish, Chinese, Italian, Indian, Russian, Japanese, Hispanic, etc., and white, black, brown, red, purple, blue, or what have you. We can be Catholic, Jewish, Muslim, Protestant, Buddhist, Mormon, and on and on.
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MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT HOSP
Some tend to believe that ALL highly sensitive people: are bipolar, tree-huggers, animal rights activists, artists/actors, poets/authors, believe in witchcraft, believe in ghosts, are secret Buddhists, activists for fringe/radical causes, PETA or GREENPEACE members, shop only in health food stores, are strict vegetarians, try to save any and all endangered species, especially wolves and polar bears, get their palms read often, call psychics often, believe in holistic medicine, believe in life after death, believe in spirits, angels, vampires, and if old enough were most likely hippies!
HOSP can subscribe to any or all of the above or none of them, but it is a misconception to think that all HOSP fit into a singular way of life based on a preconceived supposition. Although I have generalized about the sensitivity levels in TOP, PWAOS, and HOSP to a degree, it is only for the purpose of enabling the reader to understand the nature of sensitive folks with respect to animals, not to label them with a certain belief system.
TRUTHS ABOUT HOSP
High Order people sometimes send money or volunteer to help and/or save feral kittens, lost dogs, whales, dolphins, wolves, polar bears, brown bats, mustangs, animals from defunct circuses who are too old to perform, Grey Hounds retired from race tracks, discarded farm animals or ones with disabilities, old racehorses in need of gentle pastures, whales stuck in a rundown theme park, Humane Societies and ASPCA, Wildlife Preserves, Wildlife Defense Funds, Zoo animals in third world countries.
TERMS APPLIED TO HOSP
Sensitivity is a virtue, not a fault!
I imagine having bumper stickers and t-shirts made with this HOSP motto of mine: Sensitivity is a virtue, not a fault! I have been told by bosses and co-workers throughout my career that I am too sensitive and that I need to toughen myself up. At the time, I hung my head in shame, thinking they were correct. Now I’d respond by saying bull-pucky! If we are lucky enough to be HOSP, we should be proud of this genetic predisposition. I will say it again: sensitive people soften our sometimes-harsh world. We HOSP are a necessary component of a truly harmonious earth.
Many of TOP find those of us who are HOSP.... different. Here are some terms often used to describe us: …tenderhearted, too enthusiastic, weak of character, soft, a softy, and softhearted. A crybaby, a sucker, vulnerable, too emotional, a bleeding heart, a pansy, weak-kneed, hot-headed, short-fused, headstrong, wear our emotions on our sleeves. I agree that HOSP can be many of the above, but if someone uses these terms in a pejorative way to describe us, I get a bit miffed.
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GENERALIZATIONS ABOUT HOSP
Most High Order people love to laugh. They laugh at the drop of a hat, they love jokes, laugh to themselves, laugh at themselves, laugh with strangers, and enjoy it, smile at people they do not know, and other folks send them e-mails or letters with funny stories or jokes or videos because they know HOSP enjoy life. In short, a High Order person usually has a good sense of humor. People like to be with them; they are fun and passionate about life. Healthy High Order folks are happy people, for the most part, as long as they understand that it’s okay to be sensitive and embrace it just as critical.
Most High Order people talk a lot! We are the ones in the classrooms of life who are always talking. We enjoy talking, do so to just about anyone, and do not usually know a stranger. This HOSP trait can get us into difficult situations from birth to death. It is also a blessing. Because we know no strangers, we meet interesting people along the way.
Most HOSP love drama and tend to exaggerate…just a bit. I have Irish ancestors, so I call this HOSP tendency…Irish exaggerations. We HOSP relish telling stories; the longer the story, the better. We love drama above all else, so a simple and only-the-facts tale is much better when we embellish it with an old-fashioned Irish tilt! That’s not to say that we lie on a regular basis; we enjoy acting out plays using descriptive words! I saw a phrase once that describes most HOSP perfectly:
They are drama queens who love the stage!
Most HOSP love to eat. We feed our souls with food, thinking it will make us happy. When HOSP are stressed, or when our environment is negative, or the people around us are not so happy, food seems an able antidote. However, we do not need to use ‘our condition’ as an excuse because eating is a pleasure. High Order people love pleasures of all kinds! Often those HOSP… who work in positions that make them hide their sensitivity from others… overeat to compensate.
Most HOSP like to touch other folks, naturally, in a good way. Many HOSP are huggers since they like to convey their feelings through the act of physically touching someone. Notice someone who has their hand on another’s shoulder or arm while they are talking; you might be seeing a HOSP or at least a PWAOS in action.
Most High Order people cry easily. Those of us who cry easily sometimes relish the things in life that make us cry…like stories, poems, sad or horrible articles in the newspaper, television, or the internet, dead animals on the road who look like they might’ve been someone’s pet, dead animals on the road like deer, groundhogs, raccoons, possums, turtles, etc., the loss of a pet, or the loss of another person’s pet if someone is mean to us, if someone is nice to us if we learn about someone who does something special for someone else if we learn about someone who does something awful to someone else if we learn about someone who has performed acts of kindness toward animals, just the thought of a sad thing, and if someone makes a point of saying we are too sensitive.
Some HOSP get angry and show it. Anger is an emotion, and High-Order people show emotions regardless of the cost to their honor or decorum. Often anger is the only emotion some male HOSP feel comfortable showing, but that can apply to women, too. This needs to change.
Some HOSP hate any injustice and fight it head-on without worrying about the consequences. Since we feel everything deeply, acts of injustice, or people who are unjust, feel our wrath. I have known so many sensitive people, though, who were persecuted because they stood by their convictions. We HOSP often pay a price for standing on principle.
Most HOSP are sensitive to the actions and words of others. This can cause us a lot of heartache and impact our lives. We HOSP over-analyze the words and deeds of those close to us and others and take those words and/or deeds to heart. Most people don’t mean to say or do things to cause HOSP pain. However, since we are highly sensitive, they sometimes have to tip-toe around us so our feelings won’t get hurt.
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In Blog Post #3, My real Guardians of the Road story begins. Check back to follow my wonderful, sometimes crazy, and very much HOSP life.
Kathryn Lehotsky
Author and Wildlife Artist!
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