What a historical time we are living in this week……….
The Cubs just won the World Series, breaking their 108 year curse from that billy goat.
We are just days away from an unprecedented election – our first woman president or someone with no prior political career.
As long as we show up and participate, this week we become part of history.
We all love an underdog story. The “loveable loser” who comes from behind to win the day and the hearts of the everyone around them. This is certainly true for the Chicago Cubs.
I don’t usually watch baseball, unless its Red Sox –vs- Yankees, and then I’m obligated by Massachusetts birth to watch. But even I was glued to Game 7, of this World Series – sitting wide-eyed in the extra inning, as this neck and neck battle played out on screens across the country.
It made me wonder why there isn’t the same level of “root for the underdog” thinking for this nail-biter of an election, with the ultimate underdog, a woman in the final lap for the big White House at the finish line.
I look to my own dogs and wonder which one of them would win if they were running against each other in an election for baseball team mascot, or leader of the free world.
Both are cocker spaniels, so we’d be starting off with an even playing field.
Jaisy was born in South Carolina, so I know she’s American and have the birth records as proof. We rescued Meg from a shelter. We’re pretty sure her first two families were from Connecticut, so could assume she was born there, and therefore an American citizen. Though it does raise “the birther question”, as there is no official documentation to prove this.
Jaisy is the more even tempered. She does squeal and excitedly run in circles when gramma or grampa come over, but for the most part she’s stoic and you know what to expect. Important traits in a leader.
Meg is a bit more unpredictable and exuberant. The sound of a bag crinkling sparks jumping up and down on her two hind legs. The sight of a squirrel sends her charging after them, without regard to their destination, even feebly attempting to follow them up trees. And if any other animal comes too close to her ball, the “Precious” to her Gollum, well, let’s not even get into that. I’m not sure if that makes her unfit to lead, but should make us uneasy if another country tried to touch that ball.
Jaisy is the more independent and task oriented. As soon as they are let out in our back yard, you can accurately predict that she will walk the entire perimeter, ensuring the safety of our borders, all by herself. I think we could count on her to carry out a game plan – on a diamond or an oval (office that is).
Meg, on the other hand, won’t wander too far away from the door, not wanting to take any chance of being left out alone (unless that squirrel comes along). She’s also a bit less organized. If you throw her ball anywhere but perfectly straight, she will gleefully run after it, but inevitably not be able to find it unless you come running along with her and help by standing right next to it. She’d always be motivated, but could get off message unless someone was always there to keep her on point.
Jaisy is the more courageous. She will try to stick her head under our shed, not wanting to leave any stone unturned in the effort of protecting her homeland. (This is not my favorite trait, as it sometimes comes along with being sprayed by a skunk.) This could be a positive trait, but also could make her a bit of an instigator.
Meg is more emotionally fragile. Her biggest nemesis – music. There are specific songs that consistently make her cry. Not just soft wimpers, but escalating shrieks that require time and effort to console. The biggest offenders? Katie Perry’s “Roar” on the radio and the theme song for “Big Bang Theory” on t.v.. They could be at low volume in another room, but she will know and not hesitate to display her discomfort. Since her emotions can bring her from 1 to 100 in the blink of an eye, she would either be the one making the game winning hit, or inciting the next war – could go either way.
Jaisy is dependable with impeccable time management. She will stand in front of me, with an indignant stare, if I am delinquent in presenting them with breakfast or dinner. Her belly is like some type of eerily accurate biological alarm clock. If we even delay in giving her a treat after going outside “to do good things”, she will stand in front of the refrigerator, not yelling, but instead glaring at us with the guilt-invoking look of a parent who is “more disappointed in you”.
Meg is time oblivious. You want to sleep in? No problem. Breakfast is late? Didn’t even notice. Treat after tinkles outside? What an unexpected surprise. She is the poster child for “just live in the moment”. She just might not make it on time for the first pitch, or her inaugeration.
Jaisy is straight forward, what you see is what you get. She needs attention? She will come lay in my lap communicating her desire for a massage. She needs space? She gets up and finds a spot more suited to her needs at that time. She is trust-worthy and there is no second guessing for ulterior motives.
Meg, on the other hand, usually has a secretive agenda. The mini-tennis ball is Meg’s personal “arc of the covenant”. Most any behavior you see from her will in some way relate back to her ball. If she is sitting across the room staring at you, most likely she has, somehow without you even being aware she was there, planted that ball within arm’s reach of you. When she catches your eye, she will look at said ball, then back at you, then back at the ball, and so on until you throw it for her to chase. We truly think she has invented a way of mind-controlling us to carry out her will.
But even the best candidates have their unique “yeah but” quirky characteristics.
Jaisy won’t play with the Frisbee unless it is indoors. If you pick it up inside, she immediately gets a huge smile on her face and an extra bounce in her step. Outside you can throw it and she’ll ignore you and carry on with her “to-do” list. She will later indicate when she is done playing with you by laying down and beginning to eat the Frisbee.
Meg could keep herself entertained all day. She’ll dive on the ball to push it under a chair or bookcase. Then spend the next half hour trying to reach her arm under to bat it back out so she can do it again. She will nudge it off the bed in the middle of the night and then belly crawl under the bed to follow it. In fact, she will eat through blankets and couch cushions to retrieve it if she thinks it is stuck under there.
Jaisy could not be counted on to represent what her constituency wants. If she is outside barking at our neighbor dog, no amount of calling or coaxing will bring her back inside. If she is inside sensing the impending danger of the fed-ex truck, no reassurance will quiet that alarm, no matter how much I try to reason with her.
Meg is more swayed by public opinion, so might represent the will of her people more readily. When she runs past the grass into our woods, it only requires one or two calls to bring her back. We appreciate that she listens to what we, the people, want in our little microcosm of democracy.
I think they’d both make superb mascots, but I’m not convinced they have enough experience for the presidency. I’m glad I don’t have to really choose between these two furry candidates because I wouldn’t want to play favorites. Parents love all their children equally.
So whether it’s watching a historic baseball game, voting in an election of firsts, or being active enough in your pets’ lives that you know all their endearing qualities enough to campaign for them – the moral of the story is to BE PRESENT and PARTICIPATE.
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(image of adorable dog in Cub’s apparel from baxterboo.com)