I have definitely reached the point where I'm never quite
certain if I'm reusing opening hooks or not. I could probably go back and
double check past entries to confirm whether or not that's the case. There's
even a handy search tool on #DaddyWrite's home page where I could type in
keywords to see if anything pops up. However, I don't really want to do that.
I mean, just imagine if I already had the introduction for a
post planned out only to find it was now unusable due to previous usage. The extra
work and brain power I would need to muster to correct said issue would be
staggering. Therefore, to the intro!
Flashback to the year 2000 with me for a moment. For my
money, there is one thing that fully encapsulates everything that era had to
offer. I present for your consideration, Mission:
Impossible 2.
Yes, what is indisputably the worst film in the pentalogy also
serves to concisely tie up every piece of pop-culture from the late 90's, early
aughts in one package. There's long-haired, pre-couch jumping Tom Cruise,
exploding sunglasses, John Woo at his most John Woo (i.e. lots of fire and
doves). Of course, I would be remiss if I didn't mention the unfortunate strains
of Limp Bizkit permeating through every inch of the soundtrack.
Ok, after all of that side track, I finally reach the
purpose of my little M:I-2 sidetrack.
It was all to get to this one quote, taking place within the first five minutes
of said film. "Well, Dimitri, every
search for a hero must begin with something every hero needs, a villain. So in
a search for our hero, Bellerophon, we have created a more effective monster:
Chimera."
Oooh, shudders down the spine. Yes, while Chimera, the
disease, and Bellerophon, the cure, makes up the hero and villain of M:I-2, there are always instances of
heroes and villains as can be seen in everyday life. Take the story of Ellie
and Rudy for example.
In case you find yourself thinking "Who's Rudy?"
and needing context, Rudy is my mom's pet poodle. He's around 12 years old, has
blondish-white colored hair, stands about a foot tall, and weighs approximately
13 pounds. You should now have a pretty accurate representation in your head of
what Rudy looks like.
Taking Rudy's age into account, it's pretty obvious that
he's had a long uninterrupted streak as the undisputed king of my parents'
household. He's never hurt for attention, had a comfy bed all his own, a
near-constant availability of food, and rarely had to be outside. It's probably
the dream life for any small dog. Or at least it was.
With Ellie becoming more of a presence in my parents' house
over the past months, Rudy has seen his jealously grow at the mere sight of
Ellie. In fact, it's reached the point where all Ellie has to do is look in
Rudy's direction before the growling and baring of teeth begins. While Ellie's
been smart enough to keep her distance in those moments, it hasn't stopped Rudy
from trying to take a bite out of my mom or dad just for trying to calm him
down.
The resolution to this situation for the time being has been
the exile of Rudy to the chain in the backyard each time he shows any
aggression when Ellie's around. However, to tell the truth, I do feel bad for
him. While Ellie isn't a threat, I'm not entirely certain he understands that.
After all, he's a dog that has had very little exposure to children over the years.
He's still learning how to relate to Ellie's mere presence. I do believe it'll
get better though.
In the meantime though, I must ask myself a simple question:
Is Rudy or Ellie the Bellerophone of this story? Rudy's mere presence predating
Ellie's assures him a certain amount of grace given. However, Ellie's toddler
status does merit her some special considerations.
What say you, dear reader? Any tips for fostering love
between child and dog? #DaddyWrite
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