Dear friends,I would rather be doing what my dog is doing than working. Yes, you heard it here first...I think working (defined as 9-5pm, barely a lunch break to be seen, and dressing up...ugh) is overrated.
I know this is a bit of a "power statement," but I know it holds truth. We work all the time so we can have something fulfilled. Whether the fulfillment comes in monetary benefits, "making a difference", or keeping us busy, we all seem to have to do it. I propose something completely opposite. I suggest we take the "Dog's guide to life" approach. I know there is a book out there compiling this type of information, but I don't think he used my reasoning.
We should be like my dog.
1. When you are hungry, claw your owner (spouse, friend, anyone willing to pay for you) until they feed you. Don't back down. Just keep attacking. If they don't get up and give you food, then bark or whine at them. Not only is this a tactical approach, it uses guilt as its most valuable weapon. Kids have learned the same tactic. The girls on MTV's Sweet 16 seem to have it down to a science. Screw unconditional love, get me a cheeseburger. When it comes down to it, this requires little work for food. A few barks or yells here, and a few band-aids there, Voila!
2. Find fulfillment in sleeping long hours. I think we should move to a European (certain countries) style of working. Short hours, work done in spurts, drinking all other hours, dancing until late at night, then sleeping in, and doing it all over again. It sounds good to me. Buddy wakes up, eats, works a little on his bone or sheep that actually makes noises when you bite it, and goes back to bed. He repeats this same practice about three times during the day. I say we do the same thing. He seems to have a happy life working short hours. Why can't we?
3. The Dog Park as a vacation. Buddy and the dog park are like peanut butter and jelly. They just make sense together. I think he might believe he is going off to Bermuda or San Diego. The guy just loves his little short vacations. He goes to visit friends he has made. He sniffs around, pees a little leaving his mark for others to smell, and occasionally stops to take a good wiff of the wind. I say we do the same thing. Hell, in Iowa, going to Des Moines has become a vacation. The wife and I load up in the car, go to Costco, grab a beer at a sub-par microbrewery, and say hi to some friends who are too lazy to get their ass up to our area. Why travel extensively when you are on a budget like most of us are? Take the small trips. Use them to your advantage. During the winter, a trip to Des Moines can mean the difference between me killing everyone in sight or letting one extra jackass drive past me at 75 mph in a whiteout.
4. Digging holes to nowhere puts a smile on the face. Buddy loves digging holes to nowhere. Is there a worm down there? A small woodland creature? Who the hell knows. I don't think it matters. Since my pup is of the terrier persuasion, he loves digging holes to nowhere. I think we can find the same fulfillment in our lives. I often dig holes to nowhere. I might spend 13 hours working on some sort of project only to find myself scratching my head, laughing, and then going to sleep fulfilled. Hell, at least I did something with my day, even if the bookshelf is crooked, falling over, and has given me 45 splinters. It was totally worth it because the beer was good. There's nothing better than doing something with all your might, regardless of the outcome. I dig a LOT of holes.
5. Put your head out the window when driving. How many of us forget to open the windows on a really nice day? I see cars that have their windows closed, the air on, the music on, and BORED people. It's very depressing. I say, put those windows down. Hell, keep on the air if you have to. Put the windows down and let the air come in. Don't worry about your hair. If you are anything like me, you don't have much. Stop worrying. There's freedom in having the wind in your hair and the world in front of you. If Buddy likes it, so can I. Bugs have tons of protein, so stop complaining.
6. Dressing up can be fun. Why can't it be Halloween all year? Who says you can't be a Pirate all day long?
7. Keep your shades on. Buddy has a pair of Hannah Montana glasses that he doesn't actually mind wearing. While on the trip back out to Iowa, from California, Buddy decided to keep them on long after my wife originally forced him to wear the shades. He sat in the car with his head high, his ego fully in tact, and occasionally I felt him wishing he had cool parents. If he could have, I am sure he would have given us the paw. The thing he understood is that individual style matters. He was rockin' the shades for the long haul. Keep your shades on. Stay relaxed, cool, and comfortable. Life is too short to be a jackass.
Enough said.
Going home to take the dog out,
Stacy
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