By the way, I finally got directions to the wedding Saturday (heavy sigh of relief).
It's been a hard week. I won't go into details, but this is the second time this week that I am the last one out of the church. I'd much rather be out visiting people than spending so much time preparing and sorting etc in the office, but that's the way it is sometimes.
So I escaped for a little while this afternoon. I went over to the local Large Chain Bookstore to eat soup and read. On the way, I caught the tail end of a conversation on NPR about -- dogs. Dogs in public places. Where should dogs be allowed? It was the very tail end of the conversation, and one woman called in to say that "dogs should be dogs! Don't take them in your little handbags to all these places they don't want to go!" (for the record, my dog doesn't fit in a handbag.)
And a woman named Amy came in with the "last word" on the subject: "that the same people who love their dogs and use them as a substitute for children (something like that) are also the people who are annoyed with or don't have any patience with children."
There's a sweeping generalization for you.
And then the program ended.
Now I do know a few people who love animals but hate children. I am not one of those people (just for the record).
I know I'm a little neurotic. She's my baby because I love kids and I didn't have any. I need something to care for. I especially like it when I have the time to take her to a class and teach her something. I also think she's beautiful.
Most of all, I love to see her around children, how she loves to be petted and to lick their hands and to sniff them. She's very gentle. There are two children here whose dad is ill. They love to play with Scout, and they ask if she will come to church. Scout has come to Vacation Bible School too. She lets all the children pat her on the head.
Take that, Amy! What do you know?
13 comments:
Thank you, Diane, for writing about your love for Scout. I needed that because my daughter AE is house-sitting and pet-sitting for one of my oldest friends, who has no children. She has two samoyeds, which AE says are the most spoiled dogs in existence. Still AE is taking care of them. You helped me to appreciate my friend again in a much less critical light!
notice I said I love teaching her things... I hope that mitigates some of the spoiling I may do.
Yeah....take that Amy! As I write my dog Quincy won't quit pestering me. This is a little ritual we have everynight between 9 and 10pm. He keeps calling me to the kitchen to get him another of cheese and I keep telling him one is enough. Tonight I won the battle and he has finally settled. But other nights he is in it for the long haul.
Yeah, I like kids. I teach them on Sundays. Some of my nieces and nephews are kids (although one of them turned 23 today). But I don't have any children, I'm not in any hurry to change that, and I absolutely love my dogs more than I ever could have imagined back before they were around. It's a different frame of reference, much like I imagine childrearing must be.
But some people just don't get it.
They're missing out.
That's the way to go. Some of us just did not have kids- so be it. And some of us love them anyway. And them some of us love our animal companions. So it goes.
Great post. I loved the idea of you, your soup and a book, BTW!
I am right there with you! I want Rowan with me everywhere I go. I choose restaurants, shops, everything I can to include him and he rewards me with excellent behavior.
Children... I prefer them leashed.
(((diane))) sorry you're having a rough week. nothing really to add on the dog part of the rant. but it's clear scout is very important to you and brings you much joy and I honor that.
Diane, Amy don't know nuthin'.
Sorry you've had such a hard week. I pray next week is better.
Diane,
I heard that same program. It was on "Talk of the Nation" I think, and Amy is the woman who is the syndicated newspaper advice columnist who publishes a column called, "Ask Amy."
I wasn't pleased with her response, either.
Her columns are usually better....
I like reading your blog. Do you mind if I add a link on mine?
We have one of each (dog and kid). They are siblings, equal members of the family (although they don't always get along!). People whose lives have never been touched by an animal companion just don't get it. I think they're missing out on a lot, personally.
Diane, as I was reading a more recent post with you wondering about Scout being stressed, I thought, "Why not bring her to work with you? And then I read this post! So I'll ask now ... why not bring Scout to work with you? Especially when you are having to work late and do office work. I sympathize. My dog has developed sores on either side of her face, and I'm thinking I need to call the vet tomorrow.
I like kids. I never had any, but I work with them happily. And I LOVE my sweet and (usually) well-behaved dog.
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