Wild Dolph Play - photo by Jurvetson
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OMG, what a challenging time.
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When Holly at Zahirah’s Kitchen mentioned about the movie THE COVE and problems for dolphins. She gave me a link about the dolphins in captivity. I didn’t get it. I just selfishly thought, Oh no, is this going to be like my rabbit coat?
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I lived in Brooklyn in the 80’s and bought a white rabbit jacket at a thrift store. It quickly became clear to me that I would be covered with paint if I wore it.
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I felt aggravated by that. The rabbits used probably fed a family for a month. I wasn’t buying a coat made out of a rare or endangered animal.
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When I watched THE COVE. I watched it looking for loopholes that would allow me to still go and swim with the dolphins with my grandson. I couldn’t find any. I got very clear and committed about the dolphins.
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My husband has a lot of sensitivities and I know how challenging it is for him to be comfortable. I relate the plight of the dolphins to what I know of his misery. The dolphins in captivity are stressed and live shorter lives despite having good care.
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Today, I am spending changing flights and coming up with a fun alternative for my grandson and me for our special time together.
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I’m envisioning it as an equal or better trip – focus on the better.
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© 2010 J.B. Vadeboncoeur
Purplume's blog 
Holly
July 13, 2010 at 1:06 pm
I loved this post!
Thanks for the story about your rabbit coat. I remember wanting one of those so badly when I was little, and since I had a pet rabbit when I was very small, my mother couldn’t understand it. I just didn’t associate my Frosty with a soft, pretty coat. (I never got one, in the end.)
Good luck with your planning! You’ll have a better trip. That’s for sure.
purplume
July 14, 2010 at 8:23 am
Thanks Holly.
Yes things are turning out better. My grandson will come here to Hawaii and we will swim with dolphins in the wild.
Also he wants to do some zip lines over gorges. My husband will go with him on that. Yay.
And I get to ‘spoil’ him for a few days.
Mommy on the Spot
July 13, 2010 at 1:57 pm
Thanks for stoping by my blog and leaving a comment. This post was great!
I really also enjoyed reading 100 things about you. That whole limit setting thing really spoke to me. Recently, I have been feeling unsure about setting limits. Thank you for reminding me it’s ok.
I look forward to reading more of your blog.
purplume
July 14, 2010 at 8:32 am
Lately, I’ve been getting off on setting limits. I still have all these internal messages that I should be this r that, but I’m laughing at them.
I set major limits with a neighbor last week and she is still friendly. Maybe this is how people come to have great relationships – we both win.
Best luck with your limits.
Heather
July 13, 2010 at 2:55 pm
I have never swam with dolphins, but then again i have never thought about how it affects them either. Very thought provoking post!
purplume
July 20, 2010 at 8:24 am
Thanks Heather.
Doraz
July 13, 2010 at 6:45 pm
Thank you for the enjoyable read. 🙂 Have fun. 🙂
purplume
July 20, 2010 at 8:26 am
Thanks Doraz. XD
Petty Witter
July 14, 2010 at 1:46 am
I’m sure you’ll come up with some alternative. Thanks for bringing up the topics of fur and animals in captivity.
purplume
July 14, 2010 at 8:33 am
Thank you all for your comments. I love my commenters.
Jen C.
July 14, 2010 at 3:47 am
Interesting post! I think that sometimes we turn a blind eye when we end up doing something that can be just as bad for the animals that we’re trying to protect (like the dolphins in The Cove and the ones in captivity) Thanks for sharing your thoughts about this!
By the way, I thought they were going to show The Cove here but it still hasn’t shown up in theaters yet. I wonder if the government is working really hard to keep us from seeing this movie…hmmmm….
purplume
July 14, 2010 at 8:35 am
Yes, I wonder too. You over there, of all people need to see it. They talk about how dolphin meat was being sold labeled as whale, (it is in the whale family), even though it has 2000 ppm of mercury in it. Yikes.
Is the movie available on line?
Jb
July 15, 2010 at 4:37 am
Sounds like you’ve had an epiphany! This sounds so familiar…when I was reading John Robbins’ Diet for a New America 15 years ago, I felt a lot like the way you were describing. In the end I became a vegetarian and I felt like a weight was lifted off my shoulders that I never even realized was there!
Great post!
purplume
July 20, 2010 at 8:28 am
Thanks Jb, interesting what you say. There was something not quite right for me when I swam with the dolphins in captivity.