the awesome/terrifying freedom

here he is. this little guy causes a sensation wherever he goes, and is something of a celebrity on the upper east side. i watched him gather a crowd as he happily ran around in circles. i just had to take a picture. i thought 'wow, that dog is so happy!'







which of course got me thinking about the handicapped, and our perception of emotions in animals, and the things we tell ourselves to feel better about the disadvantaged, and whether or not this dog's wheelchair contraption made him 'happier,' or if he just is a normally happy dog who happens to be in a wheelchair. it's like that optical illusion with the two arches that look to be very different in size, but put them on top of each other and they're exactly the same. recontextualizing the dog into a wheelchair makes him sooo happy, and sooo cute! while the dog is probably thinking 'oh, food's over there.'

is he a 'brave' dog? is he a 'courageous' dog? nope, just a dog who's natural state is amplified by context. fascinating. and sooo cute.