Bennett Sewell Art

My name is Dahlin’ and I’m in love again.  It hasn’t always been like this.  And that’s what I want to talk to you about.  This is my second adoption.  Once upon a time, long ago, I was put up for adoption as a six week old at the pound.  That was the hand that I was dealt.  I can still feel it if I want to; a cage with other puppies all bright eyed, licky, and climbing over each other full of puppy love to get to whoever came by.  Then a lady came in and said, “I’ll take her.”  I was in love immediately, a full dose of puppy love.  But as things often do, as it turned out, she had chosen me for her three children as a substitute for what she and her husband couldn’t give their children, love and affection.  She worked long hours and was preoccupied with her mother who was constantly being kicked out of old folk's homes.  The father drove a hazardous waste truck.  He was gone most of the time, he could not tell his wife where he was going nor when he would come back.  The children were fighting with each other for what little affection was available, they took their hurt out on me every once in a while.  I did get fed, I did learn to take care of myself, I did not toughen up and develop a thick skin to keep out hurt, I did not lose my desire for a good home and love. 

 

However, to my good fortune, and even though I did not think so at the time, I got kicked out of that house and put up for adoption, after I had a fight with a neighborhood dog who marked my territory the usual way.  Humans do this sometimes.  All dogs have to have good limits on what they’ll accept from other dogs.

 

Now imagine again, I’m in a cage at the pound.  And this time, I’m an older shaggy dog with six fluffy, happy, lively bundles of puppy love climbing over me to get at whoever shows up to look us over.  But this time, I’ve got more sense to go with my desire for love than I had the last time and I’ve also learned to take care of myself.  So I’ve been practicing.  I cock my head one way or the other, look deeply into the eyes of the viewer, pant a little bit, turn my lights on to the max, look happy big time and hope, hope, hope.

 

And then one day, we were down to two puppies and me in the cage.  This good-looking skinny older lady came by, looked into my eyes, I looked into her eyes, and she said, “I’ll take her. I’m going to call her Dahlin’.”  I felt that jolt, I was in love.  I could tell that she could see my inner beauty, (I was a little rough then, as you can imagine) and I could certainly see hers. She knew about love, the gettin’ and the givin’ and the stickin’ and I was right.  We have been together for a long time.  I sleep under her bed, she calls me out every morning with, “Dahlin’, I’m so glad to see you.”  And I greet her every morning with a cold nose and a lick.  It’s good.  It’s so good.  We even go to the same hairdresser.  And that’s about all I have to say at the moment, except I’m happy and grateful.  It’s all about the givin’ and the gettin’ and the stickin’.  It’s good work.  Come on over when you can.  Both Jerry, my mistress and I, enjoy good company.