Knowing

What you're seeing in this photo has never happened before. Up until yesterday if I decided to use a pillow or a part of the couch or bed the dog would simply decamp to another place he could make his own. Suddenly yesterday I lie down while watching a movie and he's doing some sort of grape stomping re-enactment on my hair trying to make enough room on the pillow to lie down. I refused to budge so we reached the comical stand off you see here. I felt pretty good about sticking to my guns except for the two times he heard someone in the hallway and launched off my skull to protect the front door. That was scary. I don't really want to do that again.

I've said a number of times that it's different having a little dog rather than a big dog, a terrier rather than a shepherd. The last week has been one example of this after another. It took me a few days of frigid temps to realize that Eddie was genuinely uncomfortable and shouldn't be out for very long at a time. It took me longer than that to come to terms with the fact that he was fine with that, perhaps even happy. He was thrilled to be back in the park this morning in the comparatively balmy 30F but equally jazzed to follow his early morning park aunties to the car for a warm ride home. I've been doing a little tricks training with him inside to burn up some of his energy but the minute I bring out the treats he becomes so wildly excited I have a hard time getting him to focus. I can't seem to get the right tone or message to get him right down to working.

I just don't know how to read this one, folks. Over the weekend I had sobering thoughts about my ability to understand what this particular dog both wants and needs. I got over it by thinking back on Emily's early days and realizing that I didn't have any doubts about my ability to read her because I hadn't yet learned I needed to. Now that I know better the next lesson is just as hard as the first.

I heard through a grapevine recently about a couple I know distantly having some "troubles at home." Everyone talking about it was shocked and amazed. They were great together, I mean, sure they seemed like an unlikely match from a distance but then there they were making that work. Opposites attract, right? It was inspiring for all of us! The better question here is, what the hell makes us think we knew anything about them? It should never come as a surprise when someone does something because there is no way in heaven or hell we actually know anyone.

This is not news. It is, though, a lesson I seem to need to learn over and over. I'm pretty good at figuring people out. I like to write and to act so poking around into the way other folks operate is sort of a little bit like my job. I forget, though, that people change. That, even if someone has spent the last two years perfectly happy sticking to their own pillow they might one day decide they need to share yours. It surprises me every time.

You know?