Friday, May 22, 2009

[F]oto Friday


This is Lucy. She is our pet, our security system, our furry entertainment.
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Few things excite her more than taking off across the yard, running low and fast behind a bounding squirrel. Her dream? To catch one. And we snicker, roll our eyes. Because will it happen? Likely not. The chances are slim to none, really.
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A couple weeks ago, off she took, jumping the ditch and trying, trying. I snorted and said aloud, "Yeah, Luce. Keep at it," in that tone of voice that means, you're silly to keep trying.
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It was like a slap to the face, the realization that I'd just belittled her dream. What right did I have? She didn't care what the odds were. She was happy, chasing that squirrel.
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How would I feel if someone belittled my dream, my writing dream? Rolled their eyes and snickered behind my back, because the chances of success are slim to none, given the odds?
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So I straightened right up, added some conviction to my voice.
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"Keep at it, Luce. Chase those squirrels."

26 comments:

Kristen Painter said...

Nicely put.

Angie Ledbetter said...

If we keep chasing our squirrels, we'll eventually get one, right? Right?! :)

Terri Tiffany said...

LOL Loved this thought. How would we feel? awful and more awful. Glad you have your dream and are moving on!

Kathy said...

I'm chasing a squirrel right now, Janna. (so to speak)

Nice blog post!

Joanne said...

What a perfect post, perfect parallel! We have much to learn from our four-legged friends, and Lucy is a prime example. I'm off to hunt down some squirrels, myself! Have a nice Memorial Day Weekend, Janna.

Anonymous said...

Is she wearing a dress? You go Lucy, go chase them squirrels.

Melanie Hooyenga said...

Aww, she's such a sweetie! I love that we can take life lessons from our pets. :)

Jody Hedlund said...

I love it! I can visualize everything you said because our dog does the EXACT same thing!! It's hilarious to watch and she does it EVERY day numerous times. One of these days, she'll get one! I just know it! Same with us, we'll keep chasing our dreams and learn how to make it happen!

Janna Leadbetter said...

Kristen - A'thank you, a'thank you. :)

Angie - I certainly hope.

Terri - As I know you are! Keep at it, lady.

Kathy - Hope you catch it! (This analogy may get old real fast... ;)

Joanne - Lucy is a wise one, for a dog. You have a great holiday weekend, too!

Janna Leadbetter said...

Rafael - Almost! LOL My daughters tied a scarf around her, so she could be SuperDog.

Melanie - I love her sweet face. :)

Jody - Yes, ma'am!

Wendy Paine Miller said...

That is so cute!
Animals make for great writing material, don't they?
~ Wendy

scarlethue said...

Look at those eyes! So cute.

Great post, thanks for making me think this morning. You woke me up, haha.

Tess said...

This post is so touching. I loved it!!! I have a furry security system, foot warmer, crumb licker as well :)

Cindy R. Wilson said...

Aw, that's sweet! And you're right, just because someone else's dream isn't ours doesn't mean it's worthless or silly. Cute doggy :D

JLC said...

Sometimes the chase is more fun than the capture.

Janna Leadbetter said...

Wendy - They do! Now that I think about it, animals - dogs - tend to make appearances in my writing. :)

scarlethue - What?! You mean I get the honor today, not the DP? ;) And Lucy has an incredibly cute, expressive face. One of my favorite things about her.

Tess - Thanks! :) And yes, I forgot about the crumb-licker part. Ever so important!

Cindy - For certain!

Turk - My, you're wise. :)

Lori said...

Oh, no, I am too slow for my squirrels. And this chase has lost all the fun. At least for today.
Have a great long weekend!

Melissa Amateis said...

LOVE this, Janna.

Janna Leadbetter said...

Lori - Everyone deserves a break. Enjoy yours!

Thanks, Melissa. :)

Jessica Nelson said...

Lucky dog, to have a supporter like you! LOL
Wish my cats would chase more squirrels so they'd stop eating our corn. :-)
Loved the post. Very cute.

Anonymous said...

Keep chasing those dreams!

-FringeGirl

Janna Leadbetter said...

Jessica - Pesky squirrels, eh? :D

FG - !!

Woman in a Window said...

That's it. Once we lay down and let the squirrels run us over we're done!

Janna Leadbetter said...

They'll put us away, Woman.

Deb Shucka said...

Our dog does the same thing. I worry he'll actually catch one, though, so I've started warning them before I let him out. Then I encourage the heck out of him

Great, light, and so true writing.

Nadine said...

I loved this post!!! So true!! And your dog is adorable!!