Spinoff of YC's 'Standing Alone' Thread

[waffle]

8 hours ago, rainbowsandroses said:

 

What are your thoughts?  Am I judging the boyfriend too harshly for only thinking of himself?  

 

My daughter was murdered in a public place (her workplace) and I went there 4 days later to get her car from the parking lot, and her purse and other personal effects from inside the building. I was swarmed with people of course when I entered the building . . . co-workers (many of whom had been present) and clients.  One of her co-workers, holding back tears, said 'I'm sorry, but when I heard gunshots, I ran the OTHER way."  Granted, a co-worker situation is much different than having a loved one in danger.  I told her that of course she did the right thing because she couldn't have done anything.  All she would have done is put her own life in danger and likely gotten herself killed too.  (Besides, active shooter training stipulates that you Run, Hide, Fight; and it's basically everyone for themselves).  Fortunately no one else was killed or even injured--except the gunman who took his own life.

Even though I was some distance away at the time this happened, I found out within minutes (long story) and I simply got up and left work without a word to anyone.  I was on my way to the location when the state police called me saying they were at my house.  Naturally I turned around and went to my house, but I've wondered since then if I had been in the building when this happened (recognizing that by the time I would've arrived at the scene it would've been all over anyway because obviously it was over before I even found out, but I'm talking hypothetically if I had been in the building at the time), and I heard gunshots coming from where my daughter was, would I have run towards the gunfire, or away?  I don't honestly know.  How do you really know what you'd do?  I feel like instinctively I would've run towards her or at least towards that area, but (again, hypothetically of course) if I had, and had gotten myself killed too, how would that have helped anything?

Same with the bear story.  If the boyfriend had gotten killed too along with the girlfriend, instead of just the girlfriend, is that really the "right" thing to do?

[Capricorn3]

I'm so sorry for your loss waffle. (((((Hugs)))).

[Seraphim]

4 minutes ago, waffle said:

My daughter was murdered in a public place (her workplace) and I went there 4 days later to get her car from the parking lot, and her purse and other personal effects from inside the building. I was swarmed with people of course when I entered the building . . . co-workers (many of whom had been present) and clients.  One of her co-workers, holding back tears, said 'I'm sorry, but when I heard gunshots, I ran the OTHER way."  Granted, a co-worker situation is much different than having a loved one in danger.  I told her that of course she did the right thing because she couldn't have done anything.  All she would have done is put her own life in danger and likely gotten herself killed too.  (Besides, active shooter training stipulates that you Run, Hide, Fight; and it's basically everyone for themselves).  Fortunately no one else was killed or even injured--except the gunman who took his own life.

Even though I was some distance away at the time this happened, I found out within minutes (long story) and I simply got up and left work without a word to anyone.  I was on my way to the location when the state police called me saying they were at my house.  Naturally I turned around and went to my house, but I've wondered since then if I had been in the building when this happened (recognizing that by the time I would've arrived at the scene it would've been all over anyway because obviously it was over before I even found out, but I'm talking hypothetically if I had been in the building at the time), and I heard gunshots coming from where my daughter was, would I have run towards the gunfire, or away?  I don't honestly know.  How do you really know what you'd do?  I feel like instinctively I would've run towards her or at least towards that area, but (again, hypothetically of course) if I had, and had gotten myself killed too, how would that have helped anything?

Same with the bear story.  If the boyfriend had gotten killed too along with the girlfriend, instead of just the girlfriend, is that really the "right" thing to do?

I am so very sorry for your loss. Hugs . 

[yogacat]

49 minutes ago, mylolita said:

I don’t care about women having to match everything 50/50 everywhere. Are you going to police companies and governments when they hire down to the tiniest business, just to make up numbers? 
 

Women still want to have children - that takes them away from the workforce often for a few years, causing this phantom “pay gap” in the system everyone touts which is untrue.

 

Why do you need everything to be so perfectly equal anyway? Why don’t you need everything to be half black and half white? Why do you just stop at women for equality? What about Hispanics? How many Hispanic billionaires are there in America? What about native Americans? How many of them are in office? Why don’t you care about those minorities? 
 

Why do you just care about women and disregard the rest, and also the areas men are vastly unequal in as well? You’re not bothered about the pay gaps in male nursing, in the fashion industry? 
 

You disregard genuine horrific violent oppression in the Middle East, Africa - and want to say well there’s less women reading maths at Harvard in America over here?

 

They don’t want to read maths at Harvard Yoga. They have all the options and choice to go be an scientist or start a business. You could start your own business tomorrow. 
 

Judge Judy famously said, “I’m not a female judge. I’m just a Judge.” 
 

Why is gender in job placements so important to you? Why does it matter if someone is a woman or a man? Surely you just need whoever is best for the job? Common, logical sense.

No, I think people are too much influenced by various fallacies and, possibly, cognitive dissonance.  

The quickest way to sum it up is that we live in a culture and it carries a lot of undertones.  

Women in your culture are the default, there are a lot of pressures on women.  

That's not an argument for having women as everything, it's an argument for equality.

Any by the way, women are still the target of domestic type violence, they're more pressured in society, more abused, etc.  They are murdered 13 times more often than men are by so-called "domestic violence".

Systemic sexism and misogyny that has been ingrained in our culture for centuries. Women have been marginalized and oppressed for so long that it has become normalized. The push for equality is not about making women the default or making everything 50/50. It's about addressing the inherent bias and discrimination that exists against women in the workforce, in government, and in society as a whole.

So if you feel that there is no need for gender equality, or that women should just "get over" the bias and discrimination they face, you are choosing to ignore the reality of the oppression and struggles that women face every day. 

[yogacat]

26 minutes ago, waffle said:

My daughter was murdered in a public place (her workplace) and I went there 4 days later to get her car from the parking lot, and her purse and other personal effects from inside the building. I was swarmed with people of course when I entered the building . . . co-workers (many of whom had been present) and clients.  One of her co-workers, holding back tears, said 'I'm sorry, but when I heard gunshots, I ran the OTHER way."  Granted, a co-worker situation is much different than having a loved one in danger.  I told her that of course she did the right thing because she couldn't have done anything.  All she would have done is put her own life in danger and likely gotten herself killed too.  (Besides, active shooter training stipulates that you Run, Hide, Fight; and it's basically everyone for themselves).  Fortunately no one else was killed or even injured--except the gunman who took his own life.

Even though I was some distance away at the time this happened, I found out within minutes (long story) and I simply got up and left work without a word to anyone.  I was on my way to the location when the state police called me saying they were at my house.  Naturally I turned around and went to my house, but I've wondered since then if I had been in the building when this happened (recognizing that by the time I would've arrived at the scene it would've been all over anyway because obviously it was over before I even found out, but I'm talking hypothetically if I had been in the building at the time), and I heard gunshots coming from where my daughter was, would I have run towards the gunfire, or away?  I don't honestly know.  How do you really know what you'd do?  I feel like instinctively I would've run towards her or at least towards that area, but (again, hypothetically of course) if I had, and had gotten myself killed too, how would that have helped anything?

Same with the bear story.  If the boyfriend had gotten killed too along with the girlfriend, instead of just the girlfriend, is that really the "right" thing to do?

Oh my gosh. That is horrible.  I am so sorry that happened to you and your family.  No one should have to go through that.

[yogacat]

59 minutes ago, mylolita said:

Next I’ll be saying well, I’m oppressed - how many companies hired redheads? How many red haired presidents have we had? 
 

Redheads like me suffered oppression during the Middle Ages! Witch trials, mass drownings! I deserve my time! 
 

Ridiculous. 
 

History, hundreds of years ago, was oppressive and bad and hard for all genders. We’re talking about equality now, not what people did 500 years ago, and we have equality now and every opportunity. Maybe if women stopped complaining about it and just did it, you could too be another successful statistic by starting up your own Fortune 500, or becoming female President, or a high flying lawyer or pilot? 

 

I have choice. I choose not to do those things. Other women who also don’t choose to run businesses or read maths or become engineers like me are not down trodden - we just didn’t want to. Women in the empowerment movement find that hard to accept. 

Lol, that's not how oppression works. Oppression is systemic, it exists in the structures and institutions of society, not just in individual choices. So, if you're red hair (which you oddly seem obsessed with), you might get a couple of red headed jokes, but that's not systemic oppression. 

[itsallgrand]

I think there's still a lot of bias in expectations that men jump in to protect others even if it means their life or a lot of effort/pain for no real gain. With women, it's often seen as optional, a choice. 

This goes all the way deep to things as basic as earning a living. Many people still accept as a given that men must find a way, no matter what, to provide for themselves and their families, but for women it's optional. I've said it a million times but it's such a basic sexist part of society and so engrained that it bears repeating over and over again. 

But it's more than that too. It's so many men left without emotional or social support, expected to gut it out, and it even happens to a lot of boys. 

I'm close and always have been with my brother. We were raised as equals. Yet I see how society expects different of him. I can get away with a lot more as far as not taking care of my business, and I'd get sympathy even kudos. The world expects him to just get *** done. If I get stopped by a cop for the exact same thing, I know I'll have it easier than him, it's just reality as I've seen it. If I was abusive as a mother, I'd have a million and one chances to make it right - not so with fathers.

I agree with both Seraphim and Yoga, I see it as two sides to the same coin. Sexism hurts both genders even while it provides certain privileges when you are on the advantageous side in a given situation.

As for the bear... you don't know under you are in it. You just can't know. I'm a total wimp with blood and injuries yet I've stepped up in situations others didn't involving injury - surprised even me. I would have told you to not count on me there! 

 

[Jaunty]

Ladies - we have black bear right here on our very property where we live!   We have 3 gigantic and fierce guardian dogs to protect our flock of sheep from them and also from mountain lions and coyotes, and even bald eagles which happen to be the most successful predators at taking lambs in this region.  

My neighbor's (right across the fenceline) horse was killed by a lion.  This is unusual; they don't usually go after horses as prey, but they're cats. Cats will behave like cats.  So in this case it was up in a tree and the horse was asleep on its feet beneath it.   So the cat jumped on its back.  

The horse was not killed outright but it could not survive the injuries it suffered.  

Last winter another neighbor called and told me that a bear was chasing one of our guardians around the back field ... that's the wrong order of things.  Nobody got hurt. 

I'm not afraid of wild animals; we live near a vast expanse of woodland and they'd prefer to be in there to putting up with us and our annoying dogs.  

But if they get too comfortable with human communities, that's when they really can cause trouble.

I know for a fact that NONE of us really can be sure how we'll react in any type of a crisis until we've had experience.

[mylolita]

6 hours ago, yogacat said:

Lol, that's not how oppression works. Oppression is systemic, it exists in the structures and institutions of society, not just in individual choices. So, if you're red hair (which you oddly seem obsessed with), you might get a couple of red headed jokes, but that's not systemic oppression. 

It was in the Middle Ages! When people were killed for it.

 

But no one cares and neither do I. We don’t go back in history and say, because someone like me or my gender were once oppressed, we have to rag everyone about it now. It’s got nothing to do with any of us from what happened back when to women - none of us were alive. 
 

I’m sorry you feel pressure as a woman, or that things are unfair for you, or you need more equal opportunity. If you want to start up a Fortune 500 company I’m sorry you feel your chances have been dashed by the men. 
 

I don’t feel any of that and feel eternally grateful and lucky to be a woman in 2024 in a western country. 
 

I would respect your argument if you protested in Iraq for women’s rights, where women don’t even enjoy basic human rights to this day, but you seem to want to try to create gender problems where there are none, in this very free, very great western world here where we enjoy the spoils of democracy, freedom of speech for all and equality under the law.

 

I’m sorry you feel oppressed by men or the current system, or that you don’t have equal opportunity. I think you are terribly misguided and incorrect, but that is opinion for you. 
 

I used red hair as an example because that’s how ridiculous it is - to make up numbers in jobs based on someone’s gender (or what colour skin they have) and not how well they do the job. Why don’t you champion the same for maybe black people as well? We need half of them for everything too with your logic, and disabled people - they don’t get a look in - half of our Parliament here in the UK should maybe be disabled people, because we are “ableist” if we have more “able bodied” people taking up all these positions of power. 
 

It’s beyond silly, I’m sorry I can’t take it seriously. 
 

My husband employs a few people. He employs them based on if they’re good enough and a right fit for the job. He doesn’t say, sorry, no more men - we need half women so you’re all out - and hires women just because of it to save face or look politically correct or something. His business would fail. Makes no common sense at all.

[DarkCh0c0]

9 hours ago, mylolita said:

I don’t care about women having to match everything 50/50 everywhere. Are you going to police companies and governments when they hire down to the tiniest business, just to make up numbers? 
 

Women still want to have children - that takes them away from the workforce often for a few years, causing this phantom “pay gap” in the system everyone touts which is untrue.

I'm of a similar opinion.

So what if we were always biased? So what if most men fair better in CEO positions? So what if women are better in more artistic/supportive roles?

Can we accept that? Cause I think it's OKAY to do so, and we've come a long way and we'll go a long way in changing women's role in society. It's OKAY for women and men to have different strengths and weaknesses. We were born this way, and history shows it.

And, we don't have to have it all perfect. We don't need that sterile 50/50 divide in society for everything. And indeed, I think Western countries have it better and well, as @Seraphim  mentioned. Women are generally free for all pursuits.

Sure, there are some minor countries with extremist female oppression, but if we don't live there, it's hard to do something about it. And it's usually not just the women oppressed, it's the whole population.

[Batya33]

11 hours ago, mylolita said:

You sound like you have researched it absolutely to a T rainbows! 
 

My gut instinct would be to take a gun if you are really going off the beaten track but your boyfriend sounds like he knows best and if you trust him - that’s all that matters! 
 

Rare event - you guys likely won’t be put to the bear stand off test 🐻 ✨🕺

 

x

This thread reminded me of how -when someone does step up in this way-in a potentially dangerous situation or actual danger -you remember.  In May or June 1990 I went to see Janet Jackson at Madison Square Garden. I went with this guy who I'd casually dated a couple of times on and off -it truly was casual in a good way -we had a nice time together, he'd call me now and again and we'd go out and I honestly don't remember if we had a real kiss ever.  He invited me to the concert with his brother and brother's girlfriend.  We had so much fun.

After the concert we're trying to leave MSG - for the subway.  It was really crowded and we heard someone scream "he's got a gun!!"  Obviously everyone started running.  We weren't far from the exit but I distinctly remember my date -grabbed my hand tightly so we wouldn't be separated and so he could lead me through the crowd.  I remember thinking -wow - that is so good of him  - he absolutely was a nice and good person otherwise but you know we'd never been in that sort of situation.  Also -we weren't the hand holding couple so it made it even more unusual and gallant!

(We were fine and we really never heard if there was real danger and I never heard that anyone was hurt -thank goodness and no he didn't lead me toward a subway -outside of course!).

Waffle I am so very sorry for  your loss.  I read your post after I made mine.  I also appreciated your thinking over the what ifs.

I'll give another example.  I rode the NYC subways regularly for about 40 years, over 30 often by myself.  Numerous times I saw parents let small children wander around near the edge of the platform and my mom would notice this  too separately. Made me crazy to see and those trains come every few minutes.

A number of times I stepped in and my mom likely did too. Our protective instincts over a child.  But we stopped.  Why? Because of the number of times the parents/caregiver berated us, hassled us for either telling the child to step back or saying something diplomatic to the parents. I've had  the same reaction when speaking to a parent letting a child right near or over the curb on my block or the stroller over the edge (I know the cars here come wayyyy close to the edge as do the buses).  Once in awhile the parent (or tourist!) is grateful but too often - it's met with hostility or worse. 

Obviously if I could pull a child quickly from a car I'm sure I would reach out to do so if I possibly could but reactions vary based on past experiences.  It's really unpleasant to be told off by a caregiver who is letting their child near the edge.

By contrast I intervened when I saw a teenage girl and boy -classmates in uniform- near the edge of the platform -he was teasing her but each time he teased her she took a little step back, her back to the platform.  She wasn't scared of him but was probably flirting and distracted.

So I a stranger went over to her and said -please step away from the edge and I think I told him -please stop -she keeps stepping back.  She was thankful. Maybe she was too embarrassed to speak up for herself, wanted to be "cool" but my protective instinct kicked in and I wasn't going to watch her be so careless.

Separately I was judged once because my son climbed his favorite low tree in our playground here -he was around 7- and fell - he was fine -I saw him fall and I was a couple feet away. I deliberately wanted him to pick himself up in that specific situation because I wanted him to learn how to deal with climbing/falling etc. I went against my protective instinct as I've learned -our kids in certain situations have to handle the boo boo, the embarassment of falling, the emotional ouchy sometimes and learn from it.

He took awhile to get up not because he was hurt -he was annoyed.  Another parent went over and helped him up and gave me that judgey look - wow -I'm a mom and didn't protect my child??? She assumed I lacked the protective instinct to rush in and help my child who was "hurt".  She was wrong. That's how nuanced it is.

Yes a bear or someone with a gun is different -then there's no question it's a life or death situation but in general when the instinct kicks in, how it is reacted to in a specific situation, whether it matters as far as stranger/loved one/ biological child/step child/adopted child - it's not cut and dry IMO.

[itsallgrand]

9 hours ago, Jaunty said:

Ladies - we have black bear right here on our very property where we live!   We have 3 gigantic and fierce guardian dogs to protect our flock of sheep from them and also from mountain lions and coyotes, and even bald eagles which happen to be the most successful predators at taking lambs in this region.  

My neighbor's (right across the fenceline) horse was killed by a lion.  This is unusual; they don't usually go after horses as prey, but they're cats. Cats will behave like cats.  So in this case it was up in a tree and the horse was asleep on its feet beneath it.   So the cat jumped on its back.  

The horse was not killed outright but it could not survive the injuries it suffered.  

Last winter another neighbor called and told me that a bear was chasing one of our guardians around the back field ... that's the wrong order of things.  Nobody got hurt. 

I'm not afraid of wild animals; we live near a vast expanse of woodland and they'd prefer to be in there to putting up with us and our annoying dogs.  

But if they get too comfortable with human communities, that's when they really can cause trouble.

I know for a fact that NONE of us really can be sure how we'll react in any type of a crisis until we've had experience.

Where do you live with lions?! I'm fascinated! Sounds like an amazing property!

[yogacat]

9 hours ago, Jaunty said:

Ladies - we have black bear right here on our very property where we live!   We have 3 gigantic and fierce guardian dogs to protect our flock of sheep from them and also from mountain lions and coyotes, and even bald eagles which happen to be the most successful predators at taking lambs in this region.  

My neighbor's (right across the fenceline) horse was killed by a lion.  This is unusual; they don't usually go after horses as prey, but they're cats. Cats will behave like cats.  So in this case it was up in a tree and the horse was asleep on its feet beneath it.   So the cat jumped on its back.  

The horse was not killed outright but it could not survive the injuries it suffered.  

Last winter another neighbor called and told me that a bear was chasing one of our guardians around the back field ... that's the wrong order of things.  Nobody got hurt. 

I'm not afraid of wild animals; we live near a vast expanse of woodland and they'd prefer to be in there to putting up with us and our annoying dogs.  

But if they get too comfortable with human communities, that's when they really can cause trouble.

I know for a fact that NONE of us really can be sure how we'll react in any type of a crisis until we've had experience.

That's so wild!

A woman I worked with, a mountain lion broke into her home and went into her bedroom where her dog was. She used bear spay and got him out then thought she killed the lion. It retreated out a 100 foot window on the second floor.

I recall an incident when a pack of Dobermans tried to attack my dog, instinct kicked in and I hurled my body on my very much smaller dog, covering him up.

I was so surprised I had done that but I just did, I didn't think. My adrenaline was up through the roof.

So, definitely our bodies automatically respond to it and it can go 3 ways, we can completely check down, we can scream and run away, or we kick in to fight mode.

There is always a reason our bodies kick in with adrenaline, it was a natural part of our evolution and with your story about your dogs, nature has given them a tool in that they scare away predators.

What an amazing thing that you get to see black bears on your property, I apologize for going off track, it is such an incredible thing.  

[rainbowsandroses]

Guys, check out Steve Searles, known as the bear whisperer.  He resides in Mammoth Lakes, CA where bears roam about the community and have been for years, sometimes causing trouble looking for food (in garbages, people's fridge's etc) but mostly harmless. 

The first minute or two of the below video explains.  Guy is awesome! 

By the way, the gun he carries and sometimes uses to scare the bears off do NOT have real bullets.  The gun is a deterrent like bear spray. 

 

[Seraphim]

When I went to school in North Vancouver, BC sometimes we would have alerts for bears or mountain lions near the school. I have seen so many animals in the wild it isn’t surprising to me . 

[yogacat]

35 minutes ago, rainbowsandroses said:

Guys, check out Steve Searles, known as the bear whisperer.  He resides in Mammoth Lakes, CA where bears roam about the community and have been for years, sometimes causing trouble looking for food (in garbages, people's fridge's etc) but mostly harmless. 

The first minute or two of the below video explains.  Guy is awesome! 

By the way, the gun he carries and sometimes uses to scare the bears off do NOT have real bullets.  The gun is a deterrent like bear spray. 

 

I'm happy he made the switch to non-lethal techniques. He's a former hunter and trapper so it's cool that he became a wildlife officer in Mammoth Lakes, California and found other ways to keep bears and people safe!

RAR, recall this scene? Too funny.

 

[rainbowsandroses]

4 minutes ago, yogacat said:

I'm happy he made the switch to non-lethal techniques. He's a former hunter and trapper so it's cool that he became a wildlife officer in Mammoth Lakes, California and found other ways to keep bears and people safe!

Totally agree!  I am so glad I discovered his videos and learning tons!

He has such a unique and special relationship with the bears, he can even speak their language sometimes when necessary, it's absolutely amazing!  

I was in tears last night as a sow grizzly's cub was accidentally hit by a car and we could hear the sow wailing!   

Steve tried to comfort her but she needed to be left alone to grieve, and she dealt with the burial of her cub in her own way and then disappeared.

Sow's name is Blondie.

It was super sad. 

[rainbowsandroses]

@wafflethank you for sharing your story, and my condolences for your loss.

May your beautiful daughter RIP.💛

[rainbowsandroses]

I've been reading some of these posts discussing discrimination, sexism and oppression that many women experience even today in our current society and what I'd like to say is just because one doesn't experience it or witness it themselves does NOT mean it's not happening at least in the U.S, it's still happening on some level.

I'm in the process of purchasing a small business and I am experiencing it now!!  First hand.  With the bank, investors etc.  It's a total PITA and I know for a fact, men do not experience what I am experiencing.

It's NOT "ridiculous or silly" and I totally resent that description.

Also, the U.S has laws (U.S Labor Laws among other civil laws) protecting women from such gender discrimination etc. If it weren't still happening, then why the laws?

Why is it required by law for companies to post huge posters on their internal bulletin boards detailing such laws, why are there seminars conducted (geared towards MEN) outlining the equal treatment of women specifically in the workplace, why have lawsuits been filed by women for such discrimination and sexism if it were not still happening?

I'm curious where those who believe it isn't are getting their information?

Wherever, it's incorrect.  

P.S  This issue is completely off topic and for those who wish to continue it, I respectfully request you create a separate thread. 

I just wanted to say my peace about it. 

 

[yogacat]

41 minutes ago, rainbowsandroses said:

Totally agree!  I am so glad I discovered his videos and learning tons!

He has such a unique and special relationship with the bears, he can even speak their language sometimes when necessary, it's absolutely amazing!  

I was in tears last night as a sow grizzly's cub was accidentally hit by a car and we could hear the sow wailing!   

Steve tried to comfort her but she needed to be left alone to grieve, and she dealt with the burial of her cub in her own way and then disappeared.

Sow's name is Blondie.

It was super sad. 

It is very hard to witness or watch what it is in the animal world.  But as in any other species it's their way of nature that sometimes we can't understand or interpret the same way. 

I stopped watching lion documentaries because my heart broke every time.

But without our interference, nature finds a way to still keep the balance. So its 'wise' for us, even though as conscious individuals, not to disagree with nature. It's been there much longer before us, and intuition serves all species.

I recall watching a video of a lioness that lost her cub, and she adopted a baby impala (kill of the pride) because her hormones were still encouraging her body for milk and she was desperately mourning the loss of her cubs. She reared normally and so on the impala.

She would not let the impala out of her sight and protecting it too. Then one day, the impala drifted to far off, and was killed by a male lion.😟

I was so outraged that the camera folk didn't intervene initially with the impala.... it shook me to my core.

But that's not what they are there for.....unfortunately nature is cruel and while we may want to intervene it's really not our place to do so. 

[Jaunty]

4 hours ago, itsallgrand said:

Where do you live with lions?! I'm fascinated! Sounds like an amazing property!

Mountain lions.  Oregon.  

[Jaunty]

Speaking of the animal world - I have a 9 year old terrier who is a monster.  She wants to fight with female dogs so I have to keep a close eye on her and watch who she goes out with.  

This morning she got into a dustup with our 4 year old Great Pyrenees and she came out if it with a couple of wounds.   Honestly I had trouble breaking them up and the gigantic Kangal was about to get involved - I believe he wanted to keep the peace. 

I noticed that I was willing to throw myself between my demonic Emotional Support Terrier and 2 100 pound beasts in order to save her life.  So I'd probably do it for a beloved person as well.  

I'm so heroic.

 

[rainbowsandroses]

23 minutes ago, Jaunty said:

I noticed that I was willing to throw myself between my demonic Emotional Support Terrier and 2 100 pound beasts in order to save her life.  So I'd probably do it for a beloved person as well.  

^^This is what I was referring to earlier. Your very first instinct was to protect and help!

I'd like to believe most of us would do same, especially with a loved one be it an animal or human being.👍👍

[itsallgrand]

24 minutes ago, Jaunty said:

Speaking of the animal world - I have a 9 year old terrier who is a monster.  She wants to fight with female dogs so I have to keep a close eye on her and watch who she goes out with.  

This morning she got into a dustup with our 4 year old Great Pyrenees and she came out if it with a couple of wounds.   Honestly I had trouble breaking them up and the gigantic Kangal was about to get involved - I believe he wanted to keep the peace. 

I noticed that I was willing to throw myself between my demonic Emotional Support Terrier and 2 100 pound beasts in order to save her life.  So I'd probably do it for a beloved person as well.  

I'm so heroic.

 

I often dogsit my brothers Great Pyrenees. The neighbours little scrapper near my house was going at her and I won't lie I got a dragged a little/fell down trying to hold her back from getting to the little guy called Yappy. Sweetest dogs ever but man they have brute strength when motivated. 

 

[tattoobunnie]

Wow! Definitely a great question!  One I hope everyone here will never have to deal with. It's so hard to say. Bystander effect is a common phenomenon where people will witness someone being attacked, and will just watch, and do nothing about it.  Or as shared to me, when you are getting arrested, you would think you are going to be calm and willing, but in reality you freak out and start kicking and yelling.

Anyone can say they will step in to save the day, but who knows what another person will really do.

I have been in a handful of scenarios that involved saving lives on a few different occasions, while everyone is screaming and pacing without helping, dealing with a gun pointed at me, or in pursuit of me with one, having to navigate over 50 strangers trespassing on my property, (I have had an interesting life.), to even unbuckling my buddy out of her seatbelt with my eyes closed from being in shock while we were in a flipped car.  I am to handle these events calmly...it's a benefit from having ADHD.

And my hubs has ADHD too, and has been dragged by a bear once with his backpack (long story), that when he woke up, was able to gently unbuckle himself and escape.

But who knows what I would do if a Bear was charging after us. Honestly, I know not to run, and appear non-threatening, and if we were in Bear country, to bring spray.  But there are also people so dumb out there, they think they can touch bison, and, or take selfies with bears or bison.

I'm a scout, so prefer to just be prepared.  But, I also married a genius with mad survival skills, so there's that.