Humans — who enslave, castrate, experiment on, and fillet other animals — have had an understandable penchant for pretending animals do not feel pain. A sharp distinction between humans and ‘animals’ is essential if we are to bend them to our will, make them work for us, wear them, eat them — without any disquieting tinges of guilt or regret. It is unseemly of us, who often behave so unfeelingly toward other animals, to contend that only humans can suffer. The behaviour of other animals renders such pretensions specious. They are just too much like us.

There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.

Have you ever lain with someone when your hearts were the rhytm? That’s true love. A man and a woman who lie down with their hearts beating together are truly lucky. Then you’ve truly been in love. Yeah, that’s true love. You might see that person one a month, once a year, maybe once a lifetime, but you have the guarantee that your lifes are going to be in rhytm. That’s all you need.

It’s time to revert to that great punk rocker Shakespeare and ‘To thine own self be true.’ It’s really the punkest idea of all time. Don’t do what people tell you to, just because they’re saying it real loud and like they know what they’re talking about. Make up your own mind. Do your own thing. Heal the way you need to heal.