Dog treats and human trophies

April 3, 2016 in Uncategorized

My floor is full of dog treats, like a map of canine wandering, or perhaps wondering. A bone-shaped one near the kitchen, a tiny steak-shaped one near the piano, small ones that could be mistaken for large rabbit poops near the fireplace. They are shocking to come upon sometimes, until you recognize what they are.

That’s Perry’s doing. He wants a treat after going outside, and we give him one, but he doesn’t eat 99% of them. He just leaves them around the house like trophies to announce that he has, indeed, gone outside to do his business.

In the dark, the trophies startle and even hurt, like Legos do when you step on one of them unexpectedly. If you go to move one of them, Perry comes quickly and stands guard beside it, staring at it, then up at you, then down at it, then up at you until you make a move, and then he quietly picks it up in his mouth and stares accusingly. It seems something of a burden, then, not to be savored, but simply guarded.

I suppose we all have trophies of some kind that we leave for others to see, but not touch, the guarding of which keeps us from fully savoring them.

About Patti Digh

Patti Digh is an author, speaker, and educator who builds learning communities and gets to the heart of difficult topics. Her work over the last three decades has focused on diversity, inclusion, social justice, and living and working mindfully. She has developed diversity strategies and educational programming for major nonprofit and corporate organizations and has been a featured speaker at many national and international conferences.

4 comments to " Dog treats and human trophies "


Nancy MacDonald

April 3, 2016 AT 2:56PM

A perfect read for me today as I pack up my things to turn my cottage over to a new owner. I struggle to let go of old windows that I replaced with Energy Star windows; a piece of bead board – the original wall covering in this 1927 bungalow. What I really want is to keep my sweet cottage that I spent years renovating and loving (without all the responsibility of cleaning, gardening, taxes). It makes my heart ache to let it go. Perhaps holding on to pieces of it will somehow ease the ache.
- Reply
  
  Patti Digh
  
  April 3, 2016 AT 6:00PM
  
  Oh, I feel for you. What a special place to let go of. Perhaps it opens space for something just as special.

Marci Moore

April 3, 2016 AT 11:33PM

Funny how this one really strikes a chord as we downsize anew – now that we are actually unpacking in our new condo. We thought we’d done complete work letting go as we packed for the move. We held one massive garage sale and marched oodles of treasures to Goodwill. Yet here we sit, unboxing the untouchables – trophies from years past that held value at some point, I’m sure. Now I find myself wondering, exactly what was the point of keeping this? The Goodwill containers spill over once again as Craigslist devotees flock to the door for trophies of their own. Even the Superman collection, once kept behind glass to keep little hands at bay, is up for grabs. Very few things are sacred. In the end, it’s the gifts we carry inside – the memories of others, the friendships and the experiences we share that matter. And those fit perfectly, no matter where we live.

gourmet dog treats

August 29, 2016 AT 5:13AM

My floor is full of dog treats, like a map of canine wandering, or perhaps wondering. A bone-shaped one near the kitchen, a tiny steak-shaped one near the piano, small ones that could be mistaken for large rabbit poops near the fireplace. They are shocking to come upon sometimes, until you recognize what they are.