I often get asked why I even bother trying to educate misinformed ferret
owners when everyone knows you can't change people, and they will do what
they want anyway.
 
The answer is simple: Because I love and care for ferrets very deeply.
 
The importance of trying is a basic one: The more people you talk to, the
more likely the information you have provided will eventually sink into
the brain of one individual.  So using logic and basic reasoning, this
infers that out of a potential of, let's say, 100 people, I may reach 1
or 2.  If I talk to 1000 then the potential of reaching more goes up.
 
I use to be one of these people who got overwhelmed by the state the world
was in.  Starving children, abuse in all forms, animal cruelty beyond
belief... was this world truly worth living in?  I felt so ashamed to be
part of the human race.  At one point I did not want to be a part of it
any longer.
 
I managed somehow to make it past this dark period in my life and came
to realize that changing the world as a whole was not realistic, for who
was I but just one person.  I came to realize that I could make small
differences in my own back yard.  I came to realize that there were always
going to be the atrocities ravaged amongst the human race and through the
animal populace.  I came to realize that people must choose their wars to
battle.  And I came to realize that my own battles may not be responsible
for world peace, or for curing hunger, or for stopping animal cruelty...
but that my battles entailed saving the lives of a handful of ferrets and
trying to make a better life for a few more.  That's really all anyone
can do.
 
Sometimes we need to take a look at the big picture instead of narrowly
focusing on those issues that appear to be the big ones.  Marshall Farms
may have a history of certain documented animal cruelty cases, but what of
the breeders in our own backyards that leave whole hobs in with birthing
females who end up eating the new born kits?  What about the poor living
conditions of ferrets who have never seen the light of day, or of ferrets
who die of negligence due to misinformation?  We sometimes have a tendency
to look to cure the big problem when we really should be looking to cure a
lot more little problems right in our own neighbourhoods.
 
There are many things that people can do that can effect small changes in
the world.  Simply being a good home for ferrets goes a long way.  I tend
to think that anytime we talk to others about the wonders of our ferrets
we are continually paving a road that will lead to change.  People
knowledgeable in ferret illnesses and diseases are directly responsible
for extending the lives of many ill ferrets through the sharing of their
wealth of experiences.
 
Maybe you are an individual that feels that no one would want to listen
to what you have to say, therefore you don't get involved with rallies or
political debates.  Don't sell yourself short... I'm sure you have other
things to offer.
 
Everyone has something to contribute.  It is up to you to figure out how
you want to change the world.  Do you want to take on the whole world?  Or
do you want to approach it by little steps?
 
 ... for me, it is one ferret at a time, however I can.
 
Betty and Her Blur O'Fur
For the Love of Ferrets...
[Posted in FML issue 3181]