By Eduardo N. Cordovi Hernandez
HAVANA TIMES – Yesterday, I went to a friend’s house for the first time in two months. I stayed on the porch, enjoying the cool evening breeze while he made coffee. Suddenly, like a flash, Canela appeared, performing all sorts of tricks and antics to get me to play with her.
To be honest, I was feeling quite cheerful, but I had no desire to play with dogs, and I even thought, why not? But immediately I thought, why should I? I considered the idea of giving her a pat as a formality to be polite, but with whom, just her and me on the porch? With Canela? And that thought seemed a bit exaggerated to me and even made me smile.
Then I thought it would be like kindling a fire, she would want more! It would be a demonstration of reciprocity that I didn’t feel, and a formal pat would be more offensive to her than a sincere denial.
In response, I said to myself, “It would not only be a slight to the little animal, but even to my friend!” and I began to see the matter as somewhat more complex. I thought that deciding to do something based on what other people might think, even without them being present, would be as if others were conditioning my life, and where would my opinion be in that? Isn’t this selfishness? Well, of course! I have a very good opinion of good selfishness, and I’m not the only one who does.
Personally, I don’t do or refrain from doing something with the intention of harming or not doing good, but the one I am responsible for taking care of is myself. I will never forget what the Avianca flight attendant said to us tr
