One of things I love most about my dogs also tries my patience at times. Their passion.
I am a passionate person. A mundane conversation tonight really has me thinking about this. I have been called emotional. I have been called crazy. Perhaps I am. But I am unashamedly me. If I love something, I love it full force. If I enjoy something, there will be no questions about it. I could never be accused of being fake.
I love what I love, I enjoy what I enjoy. My family, especially the kids. My dogs. Raw feeding. Photography. Food. Weight lifting. Wine. Medical and nursing research. The outdoors. Beer. Stupid movies. Music. This is far from an exhaustive list. I get excited about things. I want to share the things I am passionate about with others. The conversation tonight that got me thinking was simply two exchanged sentences. About Pat McAfee. (He is the punter for the Indianapolis Colts. He is very funny. He is very passionate. I love him. Look him up.)
Perhaps that is why I am so drawn to my particular dogs. They feel what they feel, and do not even attempt to pretend otherwise. They can be wild and obnoxious at times, but I always know what they are feeling.
My dogs are demanding and pushy. But I love that they are not "easy." They bark at me when they want something. They sing. They dance. They sass. They challenge me.
Bruce and Faolan both bark their heads off at mealtimes, wanting their food. But they listen to me, and go to their respective crates before I will feed them. Neeko talks to me, in that northern breed way, when she wants something. It is quite convincing.
They don't pretend to be anything they are not. They do not put on airs. I have learned in the last couple of years that I am just fine the way I am. It's ok for me to snort at silly movies. It's ok to be moved to tears because of something I read or a story I see on the news. It is ok to enjoy and appreciate a good book, delicious food.
When they are happy, they show it. It is obvious. They wiggle. They zoom. They talk. They jump. Why do humans feel the need to temper their emotions? Sometimes I smile so hard my face hurts. Sometimes I feel so much I get a headache. Sometimes I exhaust myself emotionally. But I would rather feel than not.
As a rule, I tend to surround myself with other passionate people. They can be quietly passionate, or loudly passionate like me. It doesn't matter where their passion lies, so long as they feel it, feed it, live it.
It's hard not to be passionate when surrounded by it. My dogs love an adventure, new sights, new smells. They love their food. They love excitement. As do I.
They are definitely not people pleasers. That is one area of my life that I am continuing to work on. Professionally, I almost have to be. Personally, I am getting much better. I used to be embarrassed about my passion for things. Thought I was crazy, overexcited, emotional.
I have come to feel pity for those who are not passionate. Those who are apathetic, going through the motions. I want to give them some of my joy. Apathy and complacency are just not for me.
My dogs have taught me many things. How to be more patient. About canine behavior and nutrition. But most of all, they have taught me that being batshit passionate is not a bad thing.
(Lara at Rubicon Days' post On Dogs and Authenticity really got me thinking a couple of weeks ago.)
I absolutely love this. This is why our dogs are so amazing.
ReplyDeleteMom says knowing your dogs and loving them for "who they are" is a wonderful, wonderful thing!
ReplyDeleteCammie!
Sounds like you and your dogs are a good match for each other. I think Rita and I are a good match too - we both worry about things, we both are generally pretty mellow - but when we're upset, look out cuz it's Cujo-time. :)
ReplyDeleteomg "batshit passionate" I LOVE THAT terminology!!!! I am "loud passionate" as you said you are. I sooo needed to read this today because Dakota was getting on my nerves all day with his barking and being demanding. This post was superb!!! DakotasDen
ReplyDeleteThis is fantastic and I love it and adore you and your dogs. It's funny that we spend so many years reading each other's blog posts and status updates and it feels like we know each other, but we don't. This past year, I started calling my friends and speaking to them for the first time. One friend has a British accent, one friend doesn't have a southern accent despite the fact that she lives in the south, another friend is a huge guy online and soft spoken on the phone.
ReplyDeleteI love what you stated here, because this is exactly how I see you. I love every one of your Facebook posts, because I can see the absolutely joy you take in life and I love it; it inspires me to appreciate the amazingness of my dogs too.
I love this! We should all learn to be more like dogs...not afraid to just be who we are, instead of who we think others want us to be. As I get older, I do get better at that. Our beagle is especially passionate, she knows what she wants and demands to get it. Maybe others think she's a bit out of control, but it is one of the things I love most about her.
ReplyDeleteJan, Wag 'n Woof Pets