the importance of being earnest: an ode to pets

 (♥)

  

Today we're lucky to have an inspiring guest post from Katy McDougall, creator of Teeny's Friends, an organization that provides toys to needy dogs. My dog, Bella, and I are both huge fans of Katy's and I'm happy to share her awesome guest post with you today. You can find Katy online at Teeny's Friends, on Twitter @teenysfriends, and on Facebook. Thank you, Katy, for your great contribution to Positively Present!

I’ve always been a fan of Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest. In the play, the characters create alter-egos to avoid inconvenient or unwanted social situations. Incredibly, though written in 1895, Importance is still socially relevant in 2009. With cell phones, instant messaging, and social networking sites, it’s easier than ever to avoid someone or something if you wish to do so or feel as though you don’t have time. It’s easier to send a text message rather than pick up the phone and call someone, and it’s more convenient to send an email than to stop by and have a face-to-face chat. Whatever happened to personal contact? I don’t know about you, but I miss it. It’s hard to convey much emotion via electronic gadgets, even with the clever colon parenthesis combo that makes a smiley face. Here’s where my dogs enter and help bring me back down to Earth when I get caught up in the go-go pace of the 21st century.

• They keep me sincere (or earnest, if you prefer). You can’t “fake it” with a pet. Why even bother trying? They know when you are happy, sick, angry, or sad. Sometimes its good to let your honest emotions out. And they’ll be there for you, cocking their little heads to the side, listening to you talk, shout, cry, or laugh.
  
  

• They keep me altruistic. I am the most important person in the world to my dogs. That makes me want to be a better person, both for them and myself.
  
  

• They keep me balanced and help me remember to breathe. No matter what’s going on in the world, our pets need to be fed, walked, loved, etc. Routine is comforting and relaxing. No matter how stressed out I am, all I have to do is pet my dogs and I can feel myself begin to calm down. One kiss from them and the world spins a little slower; I find I can think more clearly. Studies have shown that people with pets live longer, so I am not the only one to notice this effect.
  
  

• They remind me to put down the electronic devices and spend one-on-one time with those I love. No text message can compare to a hug. I can’t instant message my miniature schnauzer! Pets demand our full attention and they deserve it. Every minute that passes is one minute that you’ll never get back, so make each one the best you can.

  

 

Positively Present is all about living life to the fullest. Fullest doesn’t always mean easiest! We are so accustomed to doing things the most convenient way possible; it’s easy to forget the simple pleasure in catching up with a friend in person over coffee. It goes the other way as well- many things we view as chores don’t seem so bad when we change the way we think about them. The point is, don’t be like the characters in The Importance of Being Earnest and avoid the parts of life you view as unpleasant. Good or bad, it’s all part of the journey of life. My dogs are my personal perspective; get out there and find yours!

 

Katy McDougall lives with her husband Todd and their two dogs, Marteeny & Tootsie, in beautiful Austin, Texas. She was inspired to start Teeny's Friends, an organization that provides toys to needy dogs, after rescuing Marteeny several years ago. Katy recently celebrated her 25th birthday (for the 3rd year in a row) and loves the beach, movie marathons, good company, and all animals. You can find Katy online on her blog, Teeny's Friends, on Twitter @teenysfriends, and on Facebook. 

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Contest Winner Announcement!

As you may or may not know, there was the very first giveaway on Positively Present on Monday and I let everyone know that I would announce the winner. Though I'm still traveling in NYC right now and will not be able to respond to comments/emails until my return, I couldn't let another day go by without announcing the lucky winner of the awesome Vol 25 giveaway. And the winner is.......Melissa Donovan! Melissa, author of Writing Forward -- and excellent site that I read every post on, chose the Knowledge Speaks print from Vol 25's amazing collection. If you're upset you didn't win the giveaway, don't worry -- you can still visit Vol 25's site and find some fantastic deals. Congratulations to Melissa! I will email you soon to give you all the details about your prize. :)  

Comments

[Rocky]

oh man! this is too awesome of a post =)

im gonna go give my doggy a big hug now, haha!

"They keep me altruistic. I am the most important person in the world to my dogs. That makes me want to be a better person, both for them and myself. "

I think thats the best thing about a pet. They help remind us that we are needed and special.

[Hayden Tompkins]

You are CLEARLY a "dog" person! :)

Pets are so responsive to your energy. I know that it helps me be mindful of my emotions since getting upset upsets my pets.

[Davina]

Pets are a blessing! I'm not "allowed" to have any in my apartment building... but ONE day I will again. They teach us so much about unconditional love. I have to laugh; when I'm out walking and I stop to chat with a dog-walker... I always ask what the dog's name is... as if it's not important what the owner's name is :-)

[Tim Smith]

OOH do true.

in a world that can sometimes beat you up, DOGS and animals can bring you back to reality. In a hurry.

Great article.
Tim S
Grand Poobah of Smiles

[The Emotion Machine]

These are all lovely points and I especially agree with the idea that having pets brings out our altruistic tendencies. Great observation!

[Travis]

As simple as animals are... especially our everyday household pets, I feel like we can learn more from them than most other people in our lives. Sometimes their straighforward, down to earth behavior teaches us so much about ourselves that we wonder why it isn't our pets that are walking us!

[Sami - Life, Laughs & Lemmings]

Hi Dani and Katy, in my opinion, dogs have living sussed. They nap when they're tired, play every day, greet everyone with gusto and always have a smile on their face. We could learn a lot from them. Great post, thanks!

PS. Those pics are too cute!

[J.D. Meier]

I love the raw, unfiltered, basic communication with my pets. There's no BS. There's no faking. There's no baggage. It's just right there, in the moment.

They don't say words, but they say so much.

[Melissa Donovan]

I too notice that when I hold my cat, the world slows down and I feel a sense of calm. There have been studies that scientifically demonstrate the health benefits of animal companions, but the greatest of these benefits is pure love. This is a wonderful post!

Thanks so much for the contest. I'm excited to have won and am looking forward to receiving the lovely print.

[Katy McDougall]

I wanted to thank everyone for their sweet comments! I hope everyone enjoyed reading this post as much as I enjoyed writing it!

[positively present]

Melissa - That's a great point. When I'm with Bella, my dog, things really do seem to slow down and I find myself living in the present moment. I've read that petting and animal for 15 minutes can lower blood pressure, which is pretty awesome!

Katy - Thank YOU for writing this great post. It was definitely a joy to read!