Page 2 - MidWeek - Dec 8, 2021

2 MIDWEEK DECEMBER 8, 2021
NAnimal Attraction
an anti-terrorist training facility, Afton Whitmer returned to the ranch he grew up on. Having witnessed the devastations of war, he had a constant ache in his heart. He said, “All I wanted was to live the rest of my life in peace.”
inety years ago, Mahatma Gandhi, a purvey- or of nonviolence in resistance movements (among his many attributes), said, “The great-
became Afton’s best therapy horse. Shy children read to him. He helped those who didn’t know how to let their tears fall. In his presence, the other frightened horses on the ranch finally settled down.
ness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.”
If so, the soul of a community can perhaps be re- flected by how it reports on the treatment of its animal friends as well as its people. When a Hawaiian monk seal died recently after a battle with a parasitic disease spread by cat feces, it made for local headline news. When two nēnē geese were killed by a car near Kahului Airport a few days later, it was a front-page story. The mere fact that such unfortunate incidents still make news in Hawai‘i is, depending on your vantage point, either an indication of our humanity and caring, or the reality of a slow news day.
One night he had a dream about wild horses. Some ema- ciated, some injured, he heard the words in his head, “Save me. Give me a home!”
Horses taught Afton Whitmer, founder of Wild Horse Haven Rescue, how to heal and help others heal.
Ramping things up a bit, when there is a murder or other criminal act of violence toward a human, it is usually the lead story on local newscasts and a front- page newspaper story the next day. The U.S. Census Bureau lists the following cities as having populations similar to Honolulu in 2021: Anaheim, Cleveland, New Orleans, Tulsa and Cincinnati. Ever watched local news or read a newspaper in those cities? Violent crime in- cidents are often relegated to page 6, or buried in the second half of the newscasts. Sometimes, they just don’t see these to be a big deal.
would perish. The next thing he knew, he had 20 horses. In- jured ones, very elderly ones, wild ones. He calls his ranch
someone with PTSD works with a horse, you just go in and be totally silent, and the hors- es hear that. Once you slow your respiration down and you watch the horse, you and the horse will start calming down together. Horses, they can feel a mosquito landing on their back. They’re very attuned to you.”
KELLEY
Then, one day, Odin Side- winder, a wild mustang from South Dakota, arrived. He was a gift from another rescue ranch. Odin Sidewinder calmly walked out of the trailer — he knew exactly that this is where his destiny lay.
Genie Joseph, Ph.D., is the creator of The Human-Animal Connection Training Program that believes that honoring an- imal wisdom makes us better humans. Visit thehumanani- malconnection.com.
Chasing The Light is pro- duced by Robin Stephens Rohr and Lynne Johnson.
Again, make your own assumptions as to why that might be, but perhaps it’s reassuring that we still largely pay attention to these things locally, whether it’s human suffering or sad sagas about animals. While this doesn’t necessarily make us more humane than other areas, the day that we lose perspective on the value of life is the day we become more numb, unaffected and perhaps even less human. Empathy and truly valuing life can be revealing traits in deciphering what separates one place’s ethos from another. Certain cities are sometimes defined as “tough” or “hard.” What does that do to the populace over time? How does that change perspec- tives, outlooks and daily demeanor?
Horses Help A Man Find His Way
We are all teachers of love and healing for each other.
A— Dr. Jerry Jampolsky
fter four years in Iraq and Afghanistan and six years managing
Afton is perceived to be a no-nonsense tough guy. He is — but one with a huge heart.
the Wild Horse Haven Rescue. People started to come to the ranch to commune and connect to his horses, including veter- ans with post-traumatic stress
Whitmer says having peo- ple with traumatic experienc- es interact with his horses is a positive experience for those people and the horses, many of which have experienced trauma themselves, and mutual healing can occur.
And, he softened that old ache inside Afton. Odin Side- winder showed Afton that his purpose had been patiently waiting, ready to lead him all along.
That nocturnal message gave him a purpose, and he got to work. He started re- building the old corrals on his ranch. He had no idea what would happen next, but people just started giving him horses. They needed a home, or they
disorder.
Whitmer shares, “When
New Century Schoolbook bold (scaled H 73.6)
Soon, Odin Sidewinder
Thus, while it might seem like overkill, no pun in- tended, to see “major” stories about losing a seal or a goose, these beloved entities help to make our islands special. Heartfelt sadness and lack of indifference should be acknowledged, not chided.
Think about it ...
john@thinkaboutithawaii.com