The Measure Of A Man!

The following blog is not directly related to ‘Native Unity’ but it does communicate how I feel that we are all related in the Sacred Hoop of Life .

I saw two photographs last week that make me realize the measure of a man is gauged in the way he reacts to the other creatures who live in the world around him.

The first is a stunning photograph of George Foreman, two-time heavy weight champ and a small white kitten appearing on the front cover of the September/October issue of AARP (American Assn of Retired Persons).

There sits George, in full color, imparting his most engaging smile with this tiny, fuzzy, white, long-eared, kitten snuggling next to his face comfortably perched on his massive shoulders. The color contrasts, alone, make it one of the most engagingly, perfect photographs I have ever seen.

The second was e-mailed to me in a set of photographs of our troops stationed in Iraq. There are five of them in different settings with soldiers huddled together in prayer, comradeship, interacting with children and Iraqi citizens.

The one I found to be the most compelling depicts a lone soldier, in full battle gear, seated in a doorway. An assault weapon, rests on his knee, while he looks down at the small yellow and white kitten as he gently strokes its head. The kitten appears to be the one standing guard, confident, unafraid in the midst of the chaos and destruction that surrounds it, as it sits on its haunches looking directly at the photographer.

The true measure of a man is reflected in the trust that smaller creatures of this earth place upon him.