Popular . . . It's all about popular!

(I hope you are reading this blog title with the proper Wicked tune playing in your head.) :-)

This afternoon, as I was pulling out of the Safeway parking lot, I saw something that really caught my attention. It was the most beautiful dog I have ever seen - a golden retriever, with fur the color of honey, shiney and clean. Her eyes were so large and dark that they looked like liquid coal, and were ringed by incredibly long, dark lashes. Her body was muscular and trim, and when she walked, her gorgeous fur rippled in the breeze.

Have a painted the picture well enough for you? Seriously, I am not a dog lover (I far prefer cats), but this animal made me stop and stare. (It was much prettier than the picture above, but that's the closest I could find.)

I had to look to see who was fortunate enough to own such a beautiful dog. Everybody knows that animals tend to look like their owners (or vice versa), so I was expecting nothing less than a glamour queen. Instead, the dog was being led by a very handicapped, quite contorted and disfigured woman. She was in a motorized wheelchair, and was slowly inching her way across the parking lot.

What I loved most about this scene was the attitude of adoration that I could see in the dog. I had to sit and watch them for quite some time, since they were slowly attempting to cross right in front of me. The dog would frequently check in with her master, gazing lovingly up at her. The woman would clumsily pat her head, and the dog would proceed a bit further across the parking lot. It was obvious that she was a very happy and content animal.

As I was driving away, I was thinking about that unique characteristic of dogs. They have no concept of "popular" or "cool." Dogs are 100% loyal and adoring to their owners, regardless of how wealthy or well-dressed or hip they are. A dog doesn't care what "all the other dogs" are doing. He is completely delighted to just hang out with his owner, working in the garden or watching TV or reading a book.

As I type this, our dog Shelby is sound asleep at the boys' feet. They (including Shelby) are resting after a game of soccer in the backyard. She doesn't care that they are stinky and sweaty; to Shelby, these kids are the coolest thing in the world.

Now cats . . . cats are another story altogether. A cat can make the snootiest 90210 teenie-bopper feel like a member of the geek squad. Nothing is ever cool enough for a cat, and no matter how hard you try to be hip and with-it, a cat can give you a look that says "you are sooo yesterday." But I love 'em anyways. Because if a cat decides to love you back, then wow! you have arrived.