Thursday, March 31, 2011

How It All Began....

Hi, everyone...how you doing?

I am the Master of a miniature long-haired Chihuahua.  I've never had a pet before.  I'm not married and have no children.  Pretty much, before Stanley came into my life, life was all about me.  For soooo many years life had been only about me and I began to realize that I was suffocating.  The walls started to close in on me.  Let's face it, no matter how cool a car you drive, how fashionable you dress, how exciting your high-powered career is or how many fancy restaurants you eat at or beach vacations you take...you can only focus on yourself so long before you realize your life is empty and you are totally selfish.  Well, I reached that fork in the road in 2010.

I began to open up at work that I was considering getting a dog.  I was living in a neighborhood where the community activity was walking your dog.  At the time I thought, "seriously?"  (sarcastic tone) However, as I walked the lanes of my community for exercise with my iPod blaring in my ears, I would stop, pet and talk to the dogs with their masters.  In my neighborhood, the dog is an important part of the family and honestly I know dog names before I remember human names.

More and more I began to evaluate whether a dog would fit into my schedule.  Like most people who hang on to their independence and "it's all about me" hang-ups, I would always revert to "I'm just not ready to have a dog!!"  (spoken in a distressing tone with drama similar to Scarlett in Gone With The Wind....hankie and all...ha!)  Getting a dog and having children are the same in my book:  you never feel ready!

One day a co-worker gave me a picture of a dog who was at a shelter in my area.  Oh, I could not get his expression out of my mind.  His eyes were so expressive and even in the midst of desperate circumstances (being at a shelter) he expressed dignity.  Yes, I know it sounds dramatic that I could discern all of this from a faded black and white brochure, but Stanley's picture was burned in my mind.  I read a brief description of him and the circumstances that landed him in the shelter.  My little heart went out to him.  "What an awful series of events!  Oh, I just feel so sorry for that little doggie!"....a hundred sympathetic thoughts ran through my mind.

The next day I called the shelter wanting to get more info on Stanley.  I tell you I was inching closer and closer to pet ownership and I was in complete denial.  ha.  The man at the shelter was very informative and complimentary of Stanley.  It turns out he was Stanley's keeper.  Well, within 2 hours I was AT the shelter for the purpose of meeting Stanley.  It was like I was outside of my body and compelled to get this little dog!

I met Stanley that afternoon and we were soul mates right away.  Yep, we connected.  I understood him and he me.  We've been together ever since.  I cannot imagine my life without this little angel.  Truly, he has changed me in all of the right places.  My heart has expanded and deepened and I am grateful to have him in my life.  He pleases me completely.  It's not only the love he gives me but it's the love he let's me give him.  His companionship has changed my life and I would do it all over again a thousand times.

So, this is the story of how it all began.  I left out many details, of course.....you'll have to wait for the book and the movie!  LOL.



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