Monday, August 27, 2012

Contagious Behavior

Have you ever noticed when one person gets pregnant others soon follow? A women sees a cute newborn, and says I want one too! It puts the idea in others minds.  No I am not pregnant!  I am just using it as an example how your actions put the seed metaphorically of course in others minds.  No I didn't hatch my kiddos from an egg either but I loved this picture!  What I am trying to say is sometimes our behavior, moods, and actions can be contagious!

I once bought my daughter a hamster for a Christmas present.  She had begged me for a hamster for months and I gave in.  So I went to Petco and picked out a very furry teddy bear hamster.  I picked one from the male cage. I think I read something about the males being nicer? I brought it home.  She loved it.  Three days later my "male" hamster had 10 babies!  I freaked.  I was caught a little off guard that my boy hamster was a girl.  The poor thing was trapped in the boy cage at Petco.  It couldn't have been pretty! Anyway after the initial shock, and seeing that she wasn't eating her babies.  I calmed down.  You see I was still carrying around scars from a story a childhood friend told me when I was about 10.  She told me in great detail about her hamster having babies and then it massacring her hamster family.  Icky!

So needless to say as our hamster babies grew they became so cute.  Despite the horrible smell of 11 hamsters including the mom.  We all couldn't get enough of these little critters.  Within a few weeks these babies one by one found homes in some of our friends homes.  My daughter spread the word we had baby hamsters, and parents were calling.  Our decision to buy a hamster had then affected 10 other people just like that.

It is funny how that works.  Our actions, moods, behavior then goes on to change other people's lives.  This could be for the greater good or unfortunately for the worse.  We unknowingly inflicted smelly cute hamsters into many others homes.  They too would have to deal with the noisy wheel in the middle of the night, cleaning a stinky cage, and yes seeing the joy their kids had for the 2 weeks before they got bored of their new pet.

Well fast forward a few years,  this past weekend we went out of town.  My daughter now has a very cute cockatiel.  We needed a pet sitter.  Our very kind neighbor and friend agreed to take care of our animals.  What happened next... she begged her parents for a cocketiel!  So now they to have a bird!  Just think had we not gone away for the weekend they may not have bought a new pet.


This post isn't to just talk about peoples love of animals, or how impulsive we all get when it comes to cute animals. (Seriously, I almost bought a puppy from a stranger on a beach this past weekend!) This post is to remind us how our actions affect others.  Good or bad when we put ourselves into the universe it is received.  So be mindful to project the best you!  Oh also beware if you know me at some point you may feel inclined to get a bird, hamster, bunny, hermit crab, fish, or dog!

No comments:

Post a Comment