Some Things Never Change

I was walking Boley, our 4 year-old Labradoodle, the other day. I was noticing how many people now wear masks when they are outside during the day. I saw people mowing lawns, sitting on front porches, and washing cars while wearing masks. It is amazing to me how quickly we have (begrudgingly) embraced these new life-during-a-pandemic protocols. As I contemplated this, I was startled by a small dog’s bark inches away from us on the other side of a wire fence. A French Bulldog had waited until we were that close, as yappy little dogs tend to do, before scaring the ever-living crap out of me. I screamed and grabbed my chest (because I’d left my pearls that I usually clutch at home). The little dog was still barking and snorting up a storm as we walked away. Boley was un-phased by the little dog. He is normally startled easily by the wind, or a leaf blowing by. He is used to being verbally abused by little dogs because he lives with one - Stella, our 6 lb. Yorkie. As I was trying to swallow my heart and continue our walk, it occurred to me that this was a good thing. As much as our world has changed - wearing masks, keeping our distance, working from home - other things have not changed. Yappy little dogs are still annoying as hell. It felt good that I wanted to bop it on the nose, but wouldn’t, just like always. When we got home, Stella barked her head off from the comfort of her lair under the dining room table, as usual. The mailman came and both dogs lost their minds, as it is still the highlight of their day. Boley jumped around and barked, while Stella barked and tried to bite the bottom of the front door. All as usual. This was an epiphany! Some things never change! Hooray? I am going to try to embrace this new outlook whenever my dogs go ballistic at hearing the doorbell or the slamming of the mail slot. Sure, it hurts my ears, but I can live with that, right? It’s a good thing, right? Right???