(I promise there eventually will be a point at the end of this story)
About a month ago, I decided that I wanted to get a dog. I'm divorced and I live alone, so I thought having a dog as a companion might be nice. I've never owned a dog before, but I'm an animal lover. A friend of mine works for a dog rescue in the midlands, so I contacted her and told her to be on the lookout for a certain type of dog that I was interested in adopting, and to call me if one came along.
About 2 weeks ago, I got a call from her saying that she had "the perfect dog" for me. He was a bit older (I did NOT want a puppy), fully house-trained, very good with children and other dogs, and was - to put it bluntly - a bit lazy, which really peaked my interest, as I was not really looking forward to a dog that needed to be taken to the local park and ran all day long. I told her to send me some more information and some pictures, which she did. I immediately fell in love with this dog; he was exactly what I was looking for. So after a bit of thinking, I called her up and said YES, I'll take him. She said it would be about a week or so before I could pick him up, as she had to get some paperwork done.
Over that next week, I began thinking about the pros and cons of getting a dog. While having a lifelong companion to take everywhere that I go, to love on, and to watch my back was exciting, I then began to think about some of the issues that may come up down the road. I generally vacation at least twice a year, away from home. What would I do with him while I was gone for a week at a time? Many places do not allow pets these days, unless you pay a ridiculous non-refundable deposit. And, I bowl once a week at a bowling alley that's about 45 minutes from my home, so usually I just pop in on my folks and spend the night to avoid having that long drive home. Who would take my dog out when I'm not there? I have neighbors, but to ask them on a regular basis to take on this responsibility is not very neighborly-like. And, I leave for work every morning around 5:30 a.m., and usually don't get home until around 6:00 p.m., as I have a very long commute. Is it really fair to leave my dog locked in a basement all day long?
I wrestled with my decision for a few days, and finally decided that perhaps now was not the right time for me to adopt a dog. But, I felt horrible that I had "committed" to this, and to now have to call my friend and back out was really causing me a headache. I didn't want to disappoint her, but at the same time, I wanted to be fair to myself, and to the dog. Maybe there was another family out there, with young children, that would be able to give this animal much more attention than I ever could. So, I sent her a text (didn't want to call her), and explained my situation and told her that after thinking about it, I was going to have to back out at this time. She responded with a very polite "I understand', but something told me that she was a bit disappointed in me backing out at the last minute.
Even after making that decision, I started to reconsider yet again. I could make it work, couldn't I? A few sacrifices here and there...bowling season ends in a few months, and I can always kennel my dog when I go on vacation. I cannot tell you how many times I picked up the phone to call my friend back and let her know that I had changed my mind again. But in the end, I decided against it, and recently found out that the dog was indeed adopted by a small family in Irmo, and is doing well with his new owners.
Here's my point folks, and I'm sorry to drag it out: sometimes making decisions is hard. You want to do what's best for yourself, but you also don't want to disappoint others. I have the luxury of being in my mid-40's, so I've gained a few years of wisdom over time, and yet I still have to guard against making rash decisions only to please others, and not myself. These young kids that just started shaving or driving a year ago are making one of the biggest decisions of their life when they commit to a college, and don't we want them to make the best decision based on their own needs? And not the needs of others, like coaches, fans, or boosters? I don't know anything about Arden Key or Damon Arnette, and I've read all of the disparaging remarks made about both of them over the past few weeks. I don't think any less of either of them for making a decision for themselves, and not to please Coach Spurrier or us fans. I hope that both young men are happy with their choices, and I will be right there to cheer on those 25 or 30 young men that decided that attending the University of South Carolina was the right decision for them. Making life choices is tough - let's hope that all of them made the right choices for themselves, and not for anyone else.
I'll get off my soap box now; just wanted to share a little perspective with everyone. Go Cocks!
About a month ago, I decided that I wanted to get a dog. I'm divorced and I live alone, so I thought having a dog as a companion might be nice. I've never owned a dog before, but I'm an animal lover. A friend of mine works for a dog rescue in the midlands, so I contacted her and told her to be on the lookout for a certain type of dog that I was interested in adopting, and to call me if one came along.
About 2 weeks ago, I got a call from her saying that she had "the perfect dog" for me. He was a bit older (I did NOT want a puppy), fully house-trained, very good with children and other dogs, and was - to put it bluntly - a bit lazy, which really peaked my interest, as I was not really looking forward to a dog that needed to be taken to the local park and ran all day long. I told her to send me some more information and some pictures, which she did. I immediately fell in love with this dog; he was exactly what I was looking for. So after a bit of thinking, I called her up and said YES, I'll take him. She said it would be about a week or so before I could pick him up, as she had to get some paperwork done.
Over that next week, I began thinking about the pros and cons of getting a dog. While having a lifelong companion to take everywhere that I go, to love on, and to watch my back was exciting, I then began to think about some of the issues that may come up down the road. I generally vacation at least twice a year, away from home. What would I do with him while I was gone for a week at a time? Many places do not allow pets these days, unless you pay a ridiculous non-refundable deposit. And, I bowl once a week at a bowling alley that's about 45 minutes from my home, so usually I just pop in on my folks and spend the night to avoid having that long drive home. Who would take my dog out when I'm not there? I have neighbors, but to ask them on a regular basis to take on this responsibility is not very neighborly-like. And, I leave for work every morning around 5:30 a.m., and usually don't get home until around 6:00 p.m., as I have a very long commute. Is it really fair to leave my dog locked in a basement all day long?
I wrestled with my decision for a few days, and finally decided that perhaps now was not the right time for me to adopt a dog. But, I felt horrible that I had "committed" to this, and to now have to call my friend and back out was really causing me a headache. I didn't want to disappoint her, but at the same time, I wanted to be fair to myself, and to the dog. Maybe there was another family out there, with young children, that would be able to give this animal much more attention than I ever could. So, I sent her a text (didn't want to call her), and explained my situation and told her that after thinking about it, I was going to have to back out at this time. She responded with a very polite "I understand', but something told me that she was a bit disappointed in me backing out at the last minute.
Even after making that decision, I started to reconsider yet again. I could make it work, couldn't I? A few sacrifices here and there...bowling season ends in a few months, and I can always kennel my dog when I go on vacation. I cannot tell you how many times I picked up the phone to call my friend back and let her know that I had changed my mind again. But in the end, I decided against it, and recently found out that the dog was indeed adopted by a small family in Irmo, and is doing well with his new owners.
Here's my point folks, and I'm sorry to drag it out: sometimes making decisions is hard. You want to do what's best for yourself, but you also don't want to disappoint others. I have the luxury of being in my mid-40's, so I've gained a few years of wisdom over time, and yet I still have to guard against making rash decisions only to please others, and not myself. These young kids that just started shaving or driving a year ago are making one of the biggest decisions of their life when they commit to a college, and don't we want them to make the best decision based on their own needs? And not the needs of others, like coaches, fans, or boosters? I don't know anything about Arden Key or Damon Arnette, and I've read all of the disparaging remarks made about both of them over the past few weeks. I don't think any less of either of them for making a decision for themselves, and not to please Coach Spurrier or us fans. I hope that both young men are happy with their choices, and I will be right there to cheer on those 25 or 30 young men that decided that attending the University of South Carolina was the right decision for them. Making life choices is tough - let's hope that all of them made the right choices for themselves, and not for anyone else.
I'll get off my soap box now; just wanted to share a little perspective with everyone. Go Cocks!
