My Dog and Authenticity

My dog frustrates me!

He never comes up with any new ideas and he hasn’t learned any new tricks since we got him.  He is content to do the same things every day and hope that we will get back on our exercise program so that he can walk with us and poop on something that we don’t want him to.  He still barks vehemently at the mail  person that comes by at the same time every day.

He is who he is.   He instinctively chases after squirrels.  He barks when people get in the area.  He eats the same food every day and drinks out of the toilet.  He is a dog and he seems to understand what a dog is and what they do.

His breed is a herding type so they like to know where all the non-dogs are and they like it better when we are in one place and setting still.  When several of our family are over, it just about drives him crazy because he is nervously trying to keep track of everyone.

He doesn’t ever invent any useful tools.  He doesn’t really come up with any new strategies.  In fact, he keeps trying the old ones that don’t work.  He occasionally seems to have some anxiety, but that seems to be when things happen that keep him from being a dog.  When our daughters dog comes over they have a little bit friendly competition but he doesn’t seem to lose any sleep over it.

Dogs and other animals seem to be authentic.

Thinking about other animals and my dog causes me to think about things like what is an authentic me?  Who am I deep down?  Am I living from that authentic place or am I trying to make a variety of people like me in a plethora of different ways?  What would happen if I were more like Winston and take my own advice to be who you are!

I just noticed that Winston is eating.  So, that means (without even looking), he is taking a bite while walking into where we are chomping his food loudly, dripping it on the floor.  Then walking bad to get another bite – rinse and repeat.  I tried to train him to eat over there, but he just looks at me like I’m the crazy one.

I gave up on the toilet a long time ago.  I’m never going to drink out of it, but he doesn’t have a bit of anxiety about what other people think.  It’s way cleaner than a mud puddle (I guess).

Here’s to being who we are.  For now, we’ll let Winston lead the way.  If I see him making any diabolical plans in the other room, I’ll put a stop to it; but I don’t think that is who he is.

Karl

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Karl Forehand is a former pastor, podcaster, and award-winning author. His books include Apparent Faith: What Fatherhood Taught Me About the Father’s Heart and the soon-to-be released Tea Shop. He is the creator of The Desert Sanctuary and Too Many Podcasters podcasts. He is married to his wife Laura of 32 years and has one dog named Winston. His three children are grown and are beginning to multiply!