Duncan - the Dark Knight

 

In a world where danger lurks in every shadow;

At a time when the future looks bleak and many hearts despair;

There comes a dark figure, walking the streets with a keen alertness to every sound and movement, ready to stand against evil with a fierce sense of justice and a belief in the prevailing power of right against wrong –

it’s Duncan, the Dark Knight!

What? Duncan? The little Sheltie who began life afraid of his own shadow? The puppy who refused to leave the safety of his home? How did this happen? What power has transformed him?

Duncan’s transformation didn’t come from a mad scientist or mutated insect. His powers

weren’t granted by advanced aliens or through the genius of science. It was nothing less than the Power of Example. And most astoundingly it was the example he saw in the confidence and joy of our new puppy, Gracie. While Duncan could not understand our words of reassurance and encouragement, he understood very well what he saw modeled by Gracie. He saw her confidence in new situations, her joy in new people, and her delight in just plain being a dog.

Walks have been transformed from a wild rush to get back home, to time spent time exploring and sniffing. Visitors are no longer demons and fiends. They have become  mere people and even friends. And loud noises were no longer terrible disasters, but instead became a call to arms in the defense of his home and loved ones.

Yet, like Superman’s Kryptonite, Duncan still has a few things he has no power over. We’re never certain exactly what these things will be until we see him shrink away from something. And then again, we are often surprised when something that Duncan once ran from in fear, we see him stand against with fierce determination and a snarl.

And through all his adventures, beside Duncan stands the joyful and loving presence of Gracie. Her playful spirit is a stark contrast to the ever vigilant “Dark Knight.” If Duncan drops his guard, it is usually because of her insistence that life isn’t so serious that you can’t take time for fun.

At one year old, Gracie has grown into a beautiful, energetic girl. Although slightly larger than Duncan, she always lets him be the boss when they play. She has no problem with “loosing” a game of tug, and her enthusiasm is never diminished when Duncan gets a little too “bossy.” You would swear that you could hear her giggle when Duncan snarls at her – right before she charges him. Gracie if fearless. And Duncan knows it, and it knows it well. It’s where he draws his power from. It’s the transforming Power of Example.

It’s the opposite of the Example of Power, which only breeds fear and contempt. The Power of Example is much stronger than the Example of Power. You can’t win the hearts of a people you’ve beaten to the ground – but you can, and will, win the hearts of people who you have lifted up and shown a better way to. More people will follow you if you show them how much you can achieve together, than will follow you if you threaten to take everything they love away from them if they don’t.

It’s a simple lesson from beautifully simple creatures. It’s strange that more people don’t learn it!