dingoes

Last Thursday I saw two dingoes. I didn’t know that they were dingoes, but I do now.

I was driving home at about 9:30 p.m. on a Thursday night. On Thursday nights and weekend nights the streets are usually packed with people who are out drinking. That Thursday was no different. The streets that night were swarming with packs of people out drinking and carrying on. Since it is the summer holidays there were also lots of police… anyways… I was a bit nervous and happy to get home.

When I pulled up to the house there were two tan, lean, but strong dogs without collars. They seemed really distinguished which is why I thought it was odd that they wouldn’t have collars. Nate and I were housesitting in a posh neighborhood next to the golf course. Again, it was just strange that two such beautiful dogs didn’t have collars. For that reason I suspected that the dogs were dingoes. Australian wild dogs that are thought to have come from Asia a million years ago. Because I thought they might eat me I stayed in the car watching them for a long time. I had forgotten my phone so I couldn’t even let Nate know I was stuck outside.

Before I encountered those two animals I only knew that dingoes are wild dogs in Australia that once ate a ladies baby. Also, one of the children I am responsible for told me that his totem animal is a dingo. The whole idea of totem animals is really cool and an important part of Aboriginal culture. The same day that this boy told me about his totem his brother explained to me how they are connected to their totem animals. The boys didn’t use the word totem… I can’t remember what they called it. Anyways, the child explained to me that he is connected to his animal. If something bad happens to the animal something bad will happen to him. He also explained that he might have certain qualities similar to that animal.

Amongst new-age-ie westerners I think totems are animals that may come to a person in a dream or via meditation. I think sometimes people might do things like make animal sounds to conjure up or invite the energy and power of a certain animal. I may have it all wrong… For the young people I work with their totem animal is something that is known when they are born and is determined by their place within their extended family. Again… this is only my understanding and I could have some or all of the facts wrong.

At any rate… Awesome! I saw two dingoes.