Right VS Wrong or Left VS Right

My son is a child with Asperger syndrome and is scared beyond any comprehension of unleashed dogs. When we hike and we encounter dogs I have to put him behind me and yell at the owner to get their dogs reined in, on leash. All the while my son is crying,wailing on and for the most part scared so bad I cannot reason with him. He cannot stand being jumped on, pawed or licked. He does not like dogs within 10 feet or so if he can help it.

In nearly every time this has happened the owners of the dogs have been far behind their "well trained" dog – sometimes 6 or more switchbacks below, out of eye site of said dogs.

What isn't getting easier is my son is nearly as tall as me – you try getting someone your size to reason that dog won't hurt them as it is hurtling at them.

I love dogs, I grew up with them and would love to have a trail dog – but I also realize there is a huge responsibility to it. Not everyone loves dogs or even wants them there. A leash is a sign of respect to others. Now, on a deserted trail it isn't as huge of a deal – but in areas where you will encounter others please think of them.

I take the time to thank those with well behaved on leash dogs when I can – I tell them we appreciate it very much. Leash=kid doesn't get scared.

If you have ever spent time with Autistic children, irrational fears are nearly impossible to train out of them. On the other hand, dogs are quite trainable and biddable.

And don't get me going on the time we had rocks trundled on us from above by dogs running free across a slope – and whose owners saw nothing wrong with what precious 1 & 2 were doing. There is a reason why in areas in the PNW that leashes are required and or dogs are banned outright.

What you are doing is a good thing for you. I just wonder at the value of writing a 'book'. If the book is only for your own benefit/reference then it's more of a 'diary'. I made many of the changes you are talking about, around 27 years ago. I left the USA for a 'better' life earning much less money, having more free time. and owning far less 'stuff'. Sounds like you aim to do the same thing, only without leaving the USA. It's a noble goal, but it can come across as if you are in some way implying that folks who do all those things that you don't are somehow inferior. It's one of the problems with the internet. It's hard to intuit a person's real thoughts and feelings without all the body language and vocal intonations of a real conversation.

And yes, this belongs in philosophy!

Ali, I'll say just go for it! Some of my best adventures came about unexpectedly and unplanned; all that was required was an ability to be open and spontaneous to the unfolding. It seems our culture has a certain hostility to left-brain thinking, to a holistic approach. It encourages slicing and dicing (analyzing) the world into minutia for understanding rather than a gathering together in a non-rational, intuitive way. However, be aware that it's a two edged sword: not only is spontaneity the ultimate freedom, it can also be the ultimate determinism. So, if your left brain didn't intuit the whole picture, you could find yourself in trouble. Case in point: since many areas in the Cascades are closed to dogs, and I'm a Wilderness Ranger, if our paths crossed in a closed-to-dogs area, then I'd have no choice but to issue a citation. Same goes for a fire. But that doesn't mean you couldn't find lots of other things to do!

I once had this big ol' cat named Jacques that seemed to have an uncatlike connection to me, so I decided to take him hiking 'cause I didn't have a dog. Well, we didn't get too far into the woods before he vanished. I figgured he ran off and ended up as coyote snaks. I was distraught. At the end of the day, as I was setting up camp, I turned around and darn if he wasn't there perched on a log looking all the world like he'd been there the whole time waiting for me! We had many fine hikes after that, too, and all pretty much the same, he hiked his own hike. So not only did I learn a lot about cats, I also learned about non-attatchment. That's how he rolled.

Alison, since there are no bears, how do you keep the roos out of your tent?

And yes, this belongs in philosophy.

Gosh I can't beleave I actually have to spell this out. To many INTJ's here. OK the title was suppost to imply and I'm obviously TOO F_ING STUPID TO GET IT ACROSS. That there is no right or wrong only perception. :)~ Ali the stupid dumb idiot.

Sarah, could you please post this on the threads about dogs on the trail. This is the kind of thing most dog owners need but don't get (meaning "get it"). But most of them say "my dog is totally trained and behaves", I have yet to meet that dog.

Sorry Ali for the tangent- BTW I get the title implication, my problem is I'm a little schitzo so I use both sides of my brain. My problem is if I want to try out some other paradigm, I don't know which way to go because I don't have a constant paradigm to use as a basis.

Good luck

Thank you Tom, you and Monty have saved me from giving Nathan"joke""I think" his wish and jumping off a bridge. The replys I got would actually have been funny if they were just trying to be obnoxious but I think they were actually real. Moderators please deleate this I can't take it anymore. Ali

Hello,

Seems like everyone should take a deep breath on this thread. I have trouble imagining that there are precise right and wrong ways to write a book, hike a hike, or learn about the world, and I hope I'm in error when I get the sense that is what some are implying. Ali has given every indication that her desire to write about her experiences comes from a good place, and no one on this thread, to my knowledge, has a deep familiarity with Ali as a person that would provide a basis for questioning that. The whole point of these threads is that we can discuss pack weight, dog etiquette, and even, I can't believe I'm saying this, firearms, in a civil manner, and I for one hope that civility can be maintained.

James

PS Monty- sounds like one cool cat!

> Alison, since there are no bears, how do you keep the roos out of your tent?

Monty, you err!
New Zealanders, poor people, do not have kangaroos. Only the Australians have that pleasure.
However, before Alison replies, I will admit we do not have Keas in Australia – so our gear is much safer.

Cheers

"I will admit we do not have Keas in Australia – so our gear is much safer."

You're not kidding.

Are keas good or bad ?
When I was in NZ I found them to be one of the most entertaining birds I have ever seen. Not only they are very funny in a goofy sort of way, but they are also very intelligent.
However they are destructive and very persistently so…
Franco
We did send some wallabies over to NZ but after not receiving any thanks for sending the possums we thought better about sending them roos.

Keas are innately good as they are a native, playful and inquisitive bird. They are only 'bad' to us gear horders who don't appreciate their gourmet tastes in packs, boots, rubber seals and anything bright or shiny. Judged the most intelligent bird on earth, I suspect that is their biggest problem when encountering humans.

Roos and possums, on the other hand, could arguably be deemed some of the least intelligent animals on earth ;) The wallabies are apparently a lot of fun to hunt though!

As for the OPs point, I admit I obviously don't get it, but since thie is a HYOH forum, it doesn't really matter. I'm sure i do many things that would not make sense to a lot of forum members.

"my problem is I'm a little schitzo so I use both sides of my brain. My problem is if I want to try out some other paradigm, I don't know which way to go because I don't have a constant paradigm to use as a basis."

Well said. I'm not sure what INTJs have to do with it, but by this definition, I would have thought Ali fit the category quite nicely: "INTJs are idea people. Anything is possible; everything is negotiable. Whatever the outer circumstances, INTJs are ever perceiving inner pattern-forms and using real-world materials to operationalize them. Others may see what is and wonder why; INTJs see what might be and say "Why not?!" Paradoxes, antinomies, and other contradictory phenomena aptly express these intuitors' amusement at those whom they feel may be taking a particular view of reality too seriously. INTJs enjoy developing unique solutions to complex problems."

But I'm not usually the kind of person to put people into those kinds of boxes…

I do remember an acquaintance of mine who went walking and climbing in NZ. There were Keas around the camp site, so he laid down, threw a groundsheet over himself and put a shiny object in the middle, where his hand was. When a Kea landed to inspect the shiny object he grabbed its legs through the groundsheet.

The hospital was quite sympathetic as they sewed his hand and arm up.

Cheers