The other day, I saw something that depressed me. Walking through Library Mall, I saw a small black lab--still a puppy--leading a woman down the block. What saddened me was a sign on the dog's back, which read, \Do not pet me. I am working."" This bothered me for a couple of reasons.
First of all, it pains me to see a black lab working. It's wonderful that dogs can be trained to help people whose lives would otherwise be more difficult. But I think there are certain creatures that contribute to the world's well-being just by being cute--like black lab puppies or Mandy Moore. And unlike Moore, who I'm told has very large bodyguards, puppies can serve the public by playing with people and letting strangers scratch them behind their ears and rub their tummies.
A black lab like the one I saw could improve the community simply by warming people's hearts. I know that black lab puppies are liberated now and want a role in the workplace equal to older, less cute dogs. But can't service jobs be saved for dogs that don't bring anything else to the table, like old shitzus or dachsunds?
But it bothered me even more that the dog's sign seemed to be emblematic of the current atmosphere in Madison. While in this case, the sign meant that the dog was performing a noble and invaluable service, the ""Don't touch me"" message reflects the way people in Madison have been acting lately.
Maybe it's just my limited perspective, but lately, the sense of community in this town has been waning. It increasingly feels like we are no longer a community, but a large set of isolated individuals. People seem to be scowling at each other more. Graffiti is appearing more and the prevalence of cell phones has increased, even since last year. Last week, I was jogging at the SERF and there were two different people walking on the track while talking on their phones.
And as people seem to be working hard to avoid contact with each other, certain basic social graces are being shunned. In the last two weeks, I have heard four different stories about people getting tired of waiting in line for bars and calling the cops to ticket and bounce the underage drinkers inside so that the line would move faster.
It may not have fit my canine ideals to see that adorable black lab working with the sign on its back, but at least the dog was helping someone else. The rest of us have no excuse for this pervasive sense of detachment from others. People worry about the effects of gentrification on the Madison community, but they should worry more about cell phones and shrewish attitudes.
Madison has enough pressures without its student body socially cannibalizing itself. We should be looking out for each other. We should smile at strangers. And we should be helping our 19-year-old peers get into the bars, not helping them get ticketed. Most of us haven't devoted ourselves to noble servitude like that selfless puppy. We should be open to a spiritual game of fetch and allow our proverbial tummies to be rubbed. It's the only way we can rebuild the sense of community in Madison.
And if you felt like literally scratching me behind the ears, that would be good for the community, too.
Amos Posner is in his fourth year out of five. He can be reached at amosap@hotmail.com. His column runs every Wednesday in The Daily Cardinal.
