If you’re new to whatifitdid.com, please let me introduce the two sexy girls to the left — Libby and Gracie. Libby came to me in 2001 as a puppy, and Gracie made her home with me in July 2009 as a dog. Libby grew up with attention and affection and Gracie had none.
Although both Libby and Gracie love attention, Libby is confident and assertive. She barks when others invade her space and is self-assured. She exudes boldness and pride as she walks. She’s willing to let Gracie eat first, because she knows without a doubt that she will get hers.
Gracie lacks self-esteem and is a follower. Her every movement is an attempt to get attention or an attempt to ‘fit in’. Her tail is tucked down and although she attempts to do the same things Libby does, she’s constantly seeking approval. She’d push Libby to the curb in a heartbeat if she thought she’d get more favor, and would throw her under a bus if she thought it would make us like her more.
Ok, so they are dogs (don’t tell them, ok?) — but people are the same way, aren’t they? We know that there are people who talk about things they know nothing about and pretend to be an expert so they can ‘fit in’. We also know there are people who criticize, analyze and judge others simply to make themselves feel better or look more important. Now you can choose to get angry with these types of folks and reciprocate by saying ugly things about them, or you can realize that quite possibly there have been issues in their lives that have formed their personalities as such, and they really don’t have a clue what they do is mean and ugly.
The good news is, I’ve seen a huge change in Gracie in the past few months. She’s growing to understand more of who she is. She even wags her tail occasionally, and isn’t quite as needy. I figure that if she can become a better hound dog simply because we curb our frustration and anger when she exhibits rude behavior, maybe the same type of treatment will work on humans too. You think?