Lent 2022, Day 10

 



‘I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you’

Psalm 32:8

 Since Libby’s “bitey-ness” has become more of a reality than a fear, we have stepped up the training regimen. Just this morning I got a new schedule from our trainer, and it is intense. Our trainer, unlike God, will not counsel us with a “loving eye,” but rather with an intimidating Austrian accent and military strictness. My tendency to anthropomorphize my dogs (helloo!!) will be called out, and my leash skills will be mocked. Libby will be stressed and maybe a little bit angry. Feynman will be cheerfully resentful and will try workarounds to every ask. Calvin will simply be entitled and uncooperative. I will dread each session and be exhausted after each session. It’ll be a blast.

But … we’ll all emerge less scary and/or irritating, which is a strange goal, to be honest, a bar far lower than I’d have aspired to when we got our first puppy 22 years ago (RIP Taylor, our first best dog). But diminishing the danger and toning down the annoyance will be good for us all. And not just good, but necessary.

 And as low a bar as “stop being dangerous and irritating” is, maybe, on a global scale, we’ve made things too complicated. Maybe asking people and institutions and governments to simply stop being dangerous and annoying could be the beginning of actual world peace.

Peace. May it begin with me. And my terrifying trainer. And my horrible dogs. Wish us luck.

 

#lent2022 #bibleinoneyear

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