Through the Mist

Playing with a dog is always fun, but sometimes the dog crosses the line from playing to being aggressive. First, you need to remember that even though it’s time to “cut loose,” that is no excuse for a dog to exceed the bounds of suitable actions. Biting, nipping, and other aggressive behavior should not be allowed at any moment. Once you tolerate it, the dog will learn that he can get away with it. He will get used to you allowing this behavior, and it will continue to happen even when he’s wearing his favorite dog clothes.  That’s not the lesson you want to teach. Even when your dog training mode is off, you have to keep in mind that there are limits that a dog should not be allowed to cross at any time. If you know this, then a trained dog is not too far away.

There was something about Mark (a pseudonym, of course) that drew me to him immediately.  I spotted him across a crowded party and quickly worked my way over to him for introductions.  I was with a new group of friends that night rather than my usual crowd who knew me well, and they were so proud of me for getting Mark’s number and arranging to see him the following weekend.  It wasn’t until I recounted the situation to my closer friends that they drew my attention to the fact that Mark (who some of them happened to know) looked EXACTLY like my ex-boyfriend.  I didn’t want to be rude and back out on the date, so I went and had the most horrible time.  Mark was dull and even a bit offensive in some of his political leanings, yet I kept finding myself looking at him in the way I had my ex!

I’ve been with my husband for thirteen years, and my favorite thing about him is the fact that he is without a doubt my best friend.  He’s unwaveringly supportive of all that I do (or choose not to do), and I can be completely myself in his presence.  Having known each other since childhood, our friendship includes familiarity with many embarrassing things from each others’ pasts, but that just makes our relationship even stronger.  I know that I can count on him to cheer me up after a bad day, to help me work through a difficult decision, or to simply enjoy a nostalgic talk about days gone by.

I’ve been with my current phone carrier since the mid-1990s.  I’ve stuck with them through corporate name changes, rate changes (always upward, of course!), and coverage changes and have to admit that I sometimes question why I am so loyal.  Is it laziness?  Perhaps.  I’m on a family plan with two other phones, and it seems at least one of the three phones is always still locked in a two-year contract whenever I give serious thought to switching carriers.  If I made a more concerted effort, I could likely ensure that all three were transitioned to a new network at the same time.  Unfortunately though, I have yet to hear of a single carrier that’s considered “perfect”…everyone else I know describes their own carrier as below average.  So for now, I suppose I’ll remain loyal, albeit passively so, and deal with the frustrations of slow service, high costs, and occasional dropped calls.