[Suvuseh]

Regardless of the cruel truth about nature and the way things are in reality, I think that anyone with even just a tiny bit of compassion would feel for the toad. There are valid arguments for both helping the toad and not helping the toad. But, my decision to help the toad was JUST AS VALID as one to not help. I have not done any harm to the balance of nature. It's simply not that big of a deal. I made myself feel better by not ignoring a creature's unfortunate circumstances. The snake will likely go on to catch another meal and the toad could very well go on to produce more little toads, feeding so many more snakes. I altered the course of history in a big way for the toad; but, in very tiny way in the grand scheme of things. I demonstrated my ability to have compassion and empathy for another creature in desperate need. The snake missing one meal is not as big a deal as the toad losing it's life. The unpleasantness that snake felt while being forced to give up it's meal was not as serious as the suffering that the toad was facing if nothing was done. I know the snake will eat again anyway and it has a right to; but, I also know that the toad now has a second chance at life. We should all be so lucky and I'm glad that I helped it achieve that. Doing what I did wasn't really about the toad. It merely makes me feel better about myself and it reinforces the idea that life is not just about yourself, it's also about noticing the suffering of others around you and being considerate and willing to help when you can. That makes me a better person which means I'll be a more valuable member of society as a whole. People without compassion and the ability to have empathy for others are like parasites; they use up resources to the detriment of others and they never give back. If everyone was like that, the world we live in would be very different and not nearly so enjoyable. Our general happiness depends on others considering what we'd like and providing us those products and services. Most of those people are paid to do what they do; but, they still must look at us, analyse what we want and provide it for us. We rely on consideration from others for everything from municipal services to Heather creating and maintaining this forum. We all need to be considered by someone else and we all benefit from their actions. Whey shouldn't we all do that for others as well. Taking pitty on a toad that is about to be devoured and killed is such a small gesture; if we're unwilling to do something like that, then how can we ever manage to do something bigger for other people? Actions speak louder than words. It's one thing to say you are a nice person; but, it is another thing to demonstrate that you are by doing something to prove it.