Thursday, July 28, 2011

A doggie-style love affair

My dog is in love.

She wasn’t looking for it, and her head-over-tail passion for my 26-year-old male housemate caught us all by surprise. She follows him around the house with her tongue hanging out, accompanies him on long hikes, and sleeps in his bed whenever he’ll let her.

He’s smitten, too. I catch him cuddling with her on the couch, talking to her when he thinks no one can hear.

But theirs is a doomed love affair.

As much as I appreciate the fact that the housemates’ presence allows me to pay the mortgage for now, I know they won’t always live here. I don’t picture myself in the kitchen with them when I’m 82, bickering about whose turn it is to buy eggs.

Which means my dog will eventually lose her boyfriend. I know this, and I wish there were some way to explain it. To let her know she shouldn’t get her furry little canine heart so tangled up in this ill-fated romance.

But then I think better of it.

When it comes to love or writing or really anything worth pursuing with passion, you don’t avoid throwing your whole self into it just because things might end badly.

What kind of world would this be if everyone who’d ever lost love or racked up a rejection pursued all future attempts with a half-hearted, half-assed approach? If you knew things weren’t going to turn out the way you hoped in the end, would you really want to miss the tail-wagging thrill of enjoying it while it lasts?

So as usual, I think my dog might be smarter than me.

Well, except for the butt licking thing.

19 comments :

Unknown said...

LOL

So you plan puppy love with your roommate?

*waggles eyebrows*

*giggles*

Penelope said...

So cute!

You dog is smart - if you feel passionate about it, I think it's worth taking the leap.

Anonymous said...
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Anonymous said...

You're right, even if people could lick their butts, we wouldn't.

Jessica Lemmon said...

Aww! says the sucker for *most* things canine. (I had written "all," but then I remembered that butt-licking thing...)

A great point. You're right. It's worth it. Love, writing, life... I'm a whole hog kinda gal (even if I did recently go vegan.)

;)

Loralie Hall said...

Sometimes our furry friends can teach us some important lessons ^_^

Anonymous said...

Might want to skip the "rolling in smelly dead things" part, too. Otherwise, go for it! I'm sure the guys won't object if you wag your tail. :-)

Sierra Godfrey said...

right on-- love the sentiment and couldn't agree more. Especially regarding the butt licking.

Sonja Foust said...

So cute!

Bethany Elizabeth said...

I think there's a lot we can learn from dogs. :) But I agree about the butt-licking thing - I'll pass on that.

Kimberly Sabatini said...

*heart squish*

Harley May said...

TOO precious.

I think they should enjoy the love while they have it. We only live once.

Love you.

Mark Simpson said...

That reminds me of my wife's cat when we first started dating. Bella wasn't the kind to nuzzle up, and could usually be found quietly observing our goings on from some discreet vantage.

Eventually though she began leaping into my lap and smothering me in feline affection. I didn't notice at first, but it soon became clear that this only occurred when Theresa was absent on an errand. Then upon her return Bella would wheel wide-eyed toward the door at the sound of key-in-lock then immediately bolt for cover. I can't be certain, but I believe I sensed conflict--guilt even--as she peered from hiding.

In her mind at least, Bella and I were embroiled in a smoldering affair of the worst kind--a secret lustful tryst with her own owner's guy.

Every woman has her secrets. But she carried it like a lady to the end, never opting to ease her burden in revealing her betrayal. No, she was strong enough to carry it for both of us--and took it with her to the next world where noble cats and owner's boyfriends can frolic without shame.

Dr. Cheryl Carvajal said...

She definitely loses points with the whole butt-licking thing. I'm working on not being afraid, on pushing through out of love without fearing how the whole thing will end (both soon and eventually).

Reminds me of the poem "To a Mouse," which suggests animals do not have the presence of mind to fear the future, but with that understanding comes a sort of torture, a life half-lived.

Rayvenne Black said...

My dog is completely enamored with my best friend's boyfriend. Whenever they come over she loses her mind and only has eyes for him.

Animals are really smart. Trying to fully enjoy the time you have with someone since you don't know how long they will be around and in my dog's case, since she doesn't know the next time he will be over.

Anonymous said...

Awww. That's so cute!! Love it when guys are all cuddly with the dog. It's just so cute!

The English Teacher said...

Indeed, how often do we see romantic disaster for our friends but fail to tell them? *sigh*
Oh well. She'd never listen to you anyway..... ;)

Unknown said...

Awww!How cute! And yes sometimes we have to dance the dance regardless on how it ends.

Anonymous said...

Wow, that's so cute! And what a great lesson to learn. Too bad your poor doggie has yet to learn her lesson. :(


@Mark S.- Reminds me of my friend's kitten. Whenever she's out of her apartment or in a place the kitten can't go and I'm around, he'll jump all over me, but he somehow knows when she's about to come back, and jumps off real quick like and pretends to be his usual snobby self.