I have had people very close to me and those I love either commit or attempt suicide.
The subject is so taboo. I don’t think people like talking about it, which is why I am forcing myself to do it.
Consider this my contribution to the It Gets Better Campaign.
I hope this finds someone…
I can’t decide if the world is more sensitive or if the world is more ignorant.
According to who you talk to, there are so many places you shouldn’t shop, things you shouldn’t say and places you shouldn’t eat. We are supposed to adopt animals from animal shelters. We aren’t supposed to buy dogs from pet stores. Why? Because those dogs come from puppy mills. By purchasing your dog, you are essentially saying to a large group of people that you support puppy mills. We buy a puppy instead of adopt and we’re assholes. But to a large portion of the world, buying a puppy is the same as adopting. People don’t know where they come from, they just think they are saving an animal. If you shop at Target, who has publicly supported Anti-Gay groups, you are telling a group of people that you support the Anti-Gay movement. If you buy a television from Best Buy, it’s viewed as you taking a shit on small businesses. And yet, those people who scorn you for shopping in chain stores, likely have a top of line flat screen television that I’m sure did not come from the mom and pop shop up the street. We shop at a store that supports causes that go against what we believe in and yet we see those same stores employing the same people it supposedly wants to hold back. Mixed messages. What are we supposed to do? I feel like we’re living in a world where we just can’t win.
We all watch professional sports and play Fantasy Football/Basketball/Baseball/Hockey and yet the people we are rooting for – for whatever reason – are criminals: rapists, murderers, animal killers, drunk drivers, abusive assholes. What do you do? Do you stop rooting for your team as a whole? Do you let one bad apple spoil the bunch? Do you stop watching? Do you stop doing something you enjoy because by supporting that team or professional athlete you are telling the world “I think what he/she did is okay”? We know Charlie Sheen was/is a drug addict who has a violent past and yet his stand-up shows were sold out.
Who decides what defines us and our beliefs? I shop at Target, but I’m not anti-gay. I’ve had Chik-fil-A and I’m not anti-gay. I do not shop at Petland, nor do I buy animals from pet stores – I adopt. But I don’t judge people who do. I simply say “You should adopt. Those are puppy mill animals.” That is me doing a small part and planting a small seed in someone’s head. I watch football and play Fantasy Football, but I don’t support Michael Vick. What does that say about me? Why does it matter to me or to anyone what someone does with their time and money and again, why should that define them?
“Women respond to advertisers’ messages of never being good enough: American women spend more money on the pursuit of beauty than on their own education.”
And that is sad.
Our family dog is being put down today.
Some people, particularly those who have never owned a pet or grew up with a pet, don’t get the special connection you, as a human, build with them. Those people think its silly to get worked up over an animal, to talk about them like they are human beings or to coddle them like they are children. And it is sort of silly. But I think some of the stuff people do to, for and with their own children is silly so..there that is.
Dogs are amazing. They love you unconditionally. They don’t judge you for sitting on the couch all day eating an entire bag of Flamin’ Hot Cheetos. As a matter of fact, they sit next to you (if you are kind enough to let them on your furniture), snuggle your feet and hope to God that you drop one of those Cheetos somewhere near their face. Dogs are always excited to see you and you know it is never fake. Dogs will protect you against the mailman, the rain, and the leaves blowing across the driveway. It’s maddening, hysterical and sweet all rolled into one bark.
Our family has had Puppy (originally named Princess - a name that never stuck) since I was about 16. She was rowdy and young and full of spirit. I was lucky enough to have lived with her for so many years. Minus the one time she bit my grandma’s puppy before we gave it to her for Christmas, she was a stellar, stellar pet. She was our friend. When she got older, I tended to view her as a grandmother. Slower but still so full of spirit. All it took to get her excited was to utter the words “Gooood Girrrlllll!!!!” or “Hi PUPPPYYYYYY” and you had her for the entire day.
I know it seems silly to write about an animal and to be sad about an animal dying. It’s hard to remember that you will more likely than not, out live your pets and that’s what makes it so difficult - because you think you’ll out live everyone you love.
I’ll miss you Puppy. You’re a good girl.
1. Look at mugshots in the news on ChicagoBreakingNews.com
2. Look at pictures of dogs online.
Happy Friday!
Dummies.
Here is everything I know about politics: Everybody thinks their side is right and the other side is wrong and sometimes, when people are expressing this, they make themselves look like dummies. PEOPLE.ARE.DUMMIES.
On one end, I totally admire the unwavering support people show for their respective party. Who doesn’t respect loyalty? But on the other end, some people are so loyal to thier party that they end up believing all the bullshit and ignoring all the facts.
Also, if I’m being honest here, I can’t help but feel that members of one particular party tend to come off as racist, classist, sexist and just overall - ignorant. And you know, Facebook doesn’t make it better. You give people a small platform to express their political views and they then expect you to give them a round of applause by stating a headline they pulled from Twitter or Us Weekly as fact? I’m supposed to applaude these people for NOT having an original thought? Or for stating the obvious? No. Go jump.
I don’t get the phrase or variation of the phrase “If you don’t have haters, you’re not important” or something along those lines. Maybe, just maybe, if you don’t have haters, you’re just a really nice person.
