June J. McInerney

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Friday, November 22, 2013

Neural Connections
I am seriously considering going vegan this holiday season. Especially after reading Animal Wise: The Thoughts and Emotions of Our Fellow Creatures by Virginia Morell. It is an eye-opener that makes you look at other animals in a whole different light. And, to be honest, after reading it, I don't think I could face a roasted carcass coming out of my oven when I know that its owner was once a sentient being.

I know this sounds harsh, but the truth is:Other animals besides ourselves—insects, birds, fish, marine mammals, dogs, cats, wolves, elephants, and even alligators—as the title suggests, do have thoughts and feelings. Yes, folks, they think and reason, remember things, Most are self-aware and many even plan for the future. Just like we do. I know this is true from the studies Morelli relates in her book and by the way my cherished pets communicate with me, both verbally and non-verbally.

Inter-species inter-action, especially non-verbally, is called neural connecting, especially when animals sense and react to emotions and feelings in each other. When FrankieB looks soulfully into my eyes, I know he is thinking about, sensing how I feel. And I can readily pick up on his feelings, too. When I am down with a cold, my savvy cat is cuddled up right next to me, purring away, comforting me. I can sense his worry and concern. I have a strong emotional, familial bond with my animal companions that cannot be severed. It's called love.

The upshot of this is that we should be cognizant of the needs of other animals, both wild and domesticated, and treat them with the same honor and respect we give to fellow human beings. It's time we stopped being cruel to our co-inhabitants of this "third rock" from the sun. It's time we stopped using them for our own aggrandizement and consider how they feel when we needlessly harm and slaughter them. It's time we stopped to think about what we are unmindfully doing to our environment and how it affects all animals, including ourselves.

I don't have the right words to say this empathetically enough, but Morell does.

Please jog on over to www.authorexposure.com and read my review of Animal Wise. Then read the book.

It just might persuade you, as it did me, to try to figure out a way to help make this world a gentler, kinder place to live.

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June J. McInerney, the host of this Literary Blog, is an author, poet, and librettist. Her currently published works include a novel, a book of spiritual inspirations, two volumes of poetry, stories for children (of all ages) and a variety of children's musicals. Her titles include:

Miss Elmira's Secret Treasure: A Novel of Phoenixville during the Early 1900s

Colonial Theatre: A Novel of Phoenixville during the Roarin' 20s

Phoenix Hose, Hook & Ladder: A Novel of Phoenixville during World War I

Columbia Hotel: A Novel of Phoenixville during the Early 1900s

the Schuylkill Monster: A Novel of Phoenixville in 1978

The Prisoner's Portrait: A Novel of Phoenxville during World War II

Forty-Thirty

Rainbow in the Sky

Meditations for New Members

Adventures of Oreigh Ogglefont

The Basset Chronicles.

Cats of Nine Tales

Spinach Water: A Collection of Poems

Exodus Ending: A Collection of More Spiritual Poems

We Three Kings

Beauty and the Beast

Bethlehem

Noah's Rainbow

Peter, Wolf, and Red Riding Hood

Originally from the New York metropolitan area, June currently lives near Valley Forge Park in Pennsylvania with her constant and loving companions, FrankieBernard and Sebastian Cat. She is currently working on her sixth novel.

June's novels can be purchased at amazon.com, through Barnes and Noble,
at the Historical Society of the Phoenixville Area,
and the Gateway Pharmacy in Phoenixvile, PA.

For more information about her musicals, which are also available on amazon.com,

please access www.stagedoormusicals.com.