Service Animals, Companion Animals, and Pets

At what point did some genius decide that, sure, it’s okay for dogs and cats to come into the grocery store with me?

Oh, sure, we love out pets as though they were family members, but they are still animals.  It doesn’t matter if it’s a Service animal, Companion animal, or a pet.

No, it’s not okay, and in fact, it is a terrible idea.  Do you not have a single clue as to the germs that canines carry?

The grocery store incident actually happened, one morning in early December, 2013. 

I was strolling down the aisles, pushing my cart and noticed a 40ish woman and her white, fluffy dog.  Oh, yes, the dog was on a leash, but I couldn’t believe how casual the woman was, as though bringing Poopsie (that’s not the dog’s real name) with her to the store was the most natural thing in the world.

I asked her why the dog was with her, and why she’d felt the need to bring her dog into the store.

“He’s lonely, and I didn’t want him to be alone.”

I suggested leaving him at home, tying him up outside the store, or leaving him with a trusted friend.

“Oh, no, I could never do that.  He’s my baby.” 

I moved on because I could see that she was too far gone with her dog. 

I came across not one, not two, but four more women with various sized dogs, all on leashes (the dogs, not the women) during my shopping trip.  I tried to have similar conversations with them, simply pointing out that hygienically, this was a bad idea on their parts.  I shrugged my shoulders, gave a heavy sigh, and just quickly finished my shopping.

So, who is really to blame here?  Well, first the irresponsible dog owners for thinking this was a good idea, but secondly, the politicians that wrote the A.D.A. law, prohibiting merchants from inquiring as to the nature of the animal in the first place.

Apparently, a store owner, transit (bus, light rail train) employee, and others are not allowed to “question” these animal owners as it might keep their disability status from being anonymous.

If you have a “Service” animal, it helps specifically with your disability, i.e., seeing-eye dogs, helper monkeys, and so on.

A “Companion” animal is specifically for aiding with your diagnosis, i.e., chronic depression, anxiety, etc.  Typically, these animals help calm the person down, and assist with those types of issues.

“Pets”, well, that’s a pretty easy one; these are the animals that we take into our lives and consider them to be family members.

Service animals provide a service for their owners.

Companion animals act as companions primarily for comfort.

Owners of both Service and Companion animals should be required to have a vest, collar, or other indicator on their animals at all times.  The only “stigma” associated with these are the ones that the owners of these animals place on themselves.

Think about others first.

Slackers, and Saggers, and Drag Queens. Oh my!

Slackers can sag, but rarely do drag,
And saggers can slack but not with handbags.
Drag Queens can slack but they never sag,
And slackers can drag but not when they sag.

Now, Drag Queens can slack,
If they have the knack,
Although not in a garbage sack colored jet black.

Saggers can do drag,
Wave a rainbow flag,
But not after the red-eye flight with jet lag.

Slackers can do drag,
Make puppy tails wag,
Not when they’ve sprayed themselves all over with Tag.

Slackers can slack,
Saggers they sag,
Drag Queens can do drag, wave flags with jet lag…
… the Drag Queens, not the flags!

However, if the flags came from Singapore, 
And arrived at a quarter to four, they’d have jet lag,
And for sure, start to sag.

Fantasia's Dance of the Hours!

...and if you listen carefully, you can hear,"Hello Muddah. Hello Faddah. Here I am at Camp Granada."

Fantasia's Mushroom Dance

It's actually called the "Chinese Dance", not "China Dance". And in this case, it's more widely known as "The Mushroom Dance."

I Was Once Important To You

I was once important to you, my dear boy,

You may never fully know all the joy,

You made me feel so special when we were here as one,

But, sadly, now you’ve left me and I fear that we are done.

I tried my best to be strong inside,

But it was a major chore;

I thought you felt the same for me,

Yet now, it's me that you ignore.

I may not have been at the top of your list,

But you know you felt sparks,

Each time that we kissed.

I held you close, took in your scent,

Uh oh, time’s up… and away you went.

I was once important to you, my dear boy,

You may never know that it brought me so much joy.

Just to lay beside you, hold you so close in my arms,

Keep you safe, keep you warm, with all of my charm.

Have A Nice Day!

The Friendship List

I may have been at the top of your list, boy,

But I’m not there anymore;

I’ve made some mistakes, messed things up,

You kicked me out the door.

I know I’m not your favorite person right now,

And I’m sure I make you mad;

But all that aside, please listen, dear boy,

You were the best friend I ever had.

If there’s a Friendship List that you’ve got,

I hope that somewhere you will find;

That I may not have been the bestest by far,

But at least I was always sweet and kind.

I get that you’re a very popular guy,

One that’s outta my league;

I guess I thought, just maybe, I had a shot,

That’s what I’d like to believe!

If there’s a Friendship List that you’ve got,

I hope that somewhere you will find;

That I may not have been the bestest by far,

But at least I was always sweet and kind.

I may have been at the top of your list, boy,

Not sure if I’m there anymore;

I’ve made some mistakes, straightened things up,

And you welcomed me back through your door!

L O V E

L  O  V  E

You know the song,

“L” is for the way you look at me,

“O” is for the only one I see.

“V” is very, very extraordinary,

“E” is even more than anyone that you adore…”

Made famous by the amazing Nat “King” Cole. 

When I think of love, I think of the sensory sensations which it allows us to feel and experience.  A deep, soothing warmth inside, resonating from my heart and extending to the tips of my fingers and toes.

I am terribly guilty of “wearing my heart on my sleeve” which means that I tend to get easily attached to others, and then when it is not mutual, when it is not reciprocal, I get hurt very quickly.  For me, the resilience has come, but incredibly slowly.  So, indeed there has been numerous times during which I wished I hadn’t become attached so fast.

We use the word Love, to mean so many different things.  It’s very personal to us.  There are times when we say, “I like you,” but, what we really mean is, “I Love you.”  Somehow, it just doesn’t feel right to say “Love” so freely and easily.  We tend to reserve it for those times during which we are more emotionally attached to someone or something. 

Then there is “being in Love.”  Being in Love is when we truly feel all of those sensory sensations: warmth in our hearts, tingling in our toes, catching our breath, and the ever-present ear-to-ear smile on our faces that tell the world, “I, am in Love!” 

The downside, of course, is that if it is not reciprocal, not mutual, we become saddened and disillusioned.  And rightly so.  No one wants his/her heart played with.  No one wants to put him/herself out there only to end up being hurt.  Yes, if we don’t take that chance, risk getting hurt, we find ourselves alone, empty, and even bitter.  Not a good place in which to be.  I speak from experience.

Loving someone else, Being in Love, they’re both wonderful feelings not only to be held dear to your heart, but to be shared with others.  There has been much written on the subject of Love, and I am very happy to have had this opportunity to share my thoughts on Love with you! 

Take care.              

There Will Be Times...

There Will Be Times

(*)

There will be times when you feel like a scared little boy,

Other times you’ll feel proud, puff your chest out with joy.

And still other times you may get quite annoyed,

But, most of the time you’re my friend, Willie boy.

We only met not so long ago, typing words so fast;

Now it seems ancient history, everything’s in the past.

Don’t know what I was thinking, moving the way I did,

Talking to you, I must have forgotten, you’re a grownup,

Not just some little a kid. (*)

We talked until the wee hours of morn,

I was sure that you’d be quite bored.

To my surprise, you wanted more,

Yet at 3:00 am you closed the door. (*)

I tossed so many bad puns at you,

And you just let out a hearty, “Boo!”

Somehow I knew that inside you smiled,

And held me in your heart for a little while. (*)

I believe that we wanted the same ending outcome,

Two of us together, living happily as one.

The part only you had thought about was this:

The long distance kept us from sharing a kiss. (*)

I never thought I’d feel this way again,

You helped me smile, you always wore a grin.

The twinkle in your eye and the smile on your face,

Helped me realize I could survive this place. (*)

... just holding hands.

A little romance ‘round Christmas time,

Could cost as little as one thin dime;

Or maybe less, might I suggest, just holding hands?

You make me shy, I don’t know why,

I feel that magic when you walk by;

Might I suggest, it would be best, just holding hands?

(*)       Picture us both together,

Snuggling, oh so tight.

We don’t care ‘bout the weather,

‘Cause we’ll be makin’ love all night!

A little peck on your right cheek,

Makes your knees a little weak;

Or maybe less, might I suggest, just holding hands? (*)

 

-For Willie

“Are You Going To Eat That?”

It just sat there on the tabletop, nestled comfortably on the lace doily.

It was calling to me, 

                                     “Tooooommmmm! Tooooooooooommmm!”

I shot a quick glance in its direction.  Oh, chocolatey, gooey, fudgy decadence.

I could feel the pounds being added on, one by one.

The cat, too, had seen it, for he leapt up onto the table in a single bound.  His landing, however, let a lot to be desired.

The plate holding this scrumptious delight slowly, ever so slowly, slid and crashed onto the floor.

The cat and I looked at each other.

 “Are you going to eat that?,” he said.

“Probably. You wanna help?”

I Wish I Had Known We Were Going To The Beach

I wish I had known we were going to the beach,

‘Cause then my toys, I’d have put within reach!

Instead there they sat high on the shelf

Where no one could get them, not even myself.

I wish I had known a few days ago,

What you had in store for me and Bilbo.

Then I could have gotten some toys

Better suited for doggies instead of for boys.

I got that box down onto the floor,

Just then I hear you opening the door:

It creaks and it moans ever so loud,

And here we both sit, ever so proud.

We found my toys trucks, my bucket, my pail,

I think we’ll be ready shortly without fail.

Just as I’m about to run barefoot in the street,

You say, “Hey come back, mister,

            You’ll get sand in your feet!”

Mommy Did Say They'd Be Home By Midnight...

When they said good-bye, I whimpered.  My head dropped down, and I could feel a lump in my throat.

So many questions:

            Where were they going?

            How long would they be gone?

            Will I be here all by myself?

Oh, sure, I had the run of the house.  Lots of newspaper to read before doing my “business”, as they called it.

They’d left my toys as well: 

            The cat doll with only 2 legs still attached

            My squeaky newspaper, and

            My rawhide bones.

Ruff, Ruff!

            What was that???

Hmmph!  Nothing.

I circled the living room a few times, and then decided, *yawn*, it was probably time for a well deserved nap.

I mean after all, Mommy did say they’d be home by midnight.