Poeta Ligeros, 1992
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Juan was a middle-aged man who had lived a lonely and unsuccessful life. He was a kind and hard-working man, but he hadn’t managed to make many friends in his life either. He had never been in a significant relationship and had no close family. He was what we call a lonely guy.
Despite this, Juan moved on with his life and strove to be happy. However, there were days when he felt overwhelmed by loneliness. He often wondered if there was something wrong with him or if he just wasn’t lucky in life.
One day, while he was walking down the street, he saw an abandoned dog in an alley. The dog seemed to be hungry and scared, and Juan felt empathy for him. He decided to take him home and take care of him.
From that day on, the dog became Juan’s company. He fed him and took him for a walk every morning. Although the neighbours could not tell for sure who was carrying whom. In any case, little by little, Juan began to feel less alone. The dog became his best friend and constant companion.
Everything was going well until the neighbours saw Juan chasing and barking at the Fedex van. Shortly after, the madhouse’s van arrived and they took Juan away in a straitjacket, leaving the dog alone, and the neighbours swear, laughing out loud.
If you see a lonely person, talk to them before a dog does, because opportunistic pathogens occasionally invade bodies with defences compromised by a debilitating illness, such as loneliness.
Alfredo Behrens has a PhD from Cambridge University, teaches strategy and intercultural issues at FIA Business School in São Paulo and at Harvard Business Education.
Some of his books can be purchased on Amazon.
ab@alfredobehrens.com