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My Not-So-Superficial Goal for Today

On the way to school this morning, as I had to brake to let the guy-with-the comb-stuck-in-his-hair-although-this-morning-he-was-wearing-a-ball-cap-so-I-couldn't-tell cross the street, #2 looked at the two dogs following him and asked, "If his house was a cartoon, I wonder what the dogs would be like. Would they be cute little happy puppies, or would they be like some of the dogs in All Dogs Go to Heaven?"

Hmm. I remember some of those dogs. They were straight from the junk yard--survivor dogs that you just knew had fleas and warts and matted fur--nothing you'd ever want to pet. #2 knows all about those dogs from the junk yard. When she was in 2nd grade, we all traveled to Brazil with Husband's parents--my father-in-law was from Brazil, and he served as interpreter as we went from city to city to visit his brothers and sisters. While at the house of one sister, an unusual woman who had turned her entire house into a stray animal shelter, we were placed face to face with the largest, broadest, brute force Doberman. He had been abandoned by his junk yard owner, and Aunt Eva gave him sanctuary. His gigantic head was nose to nose with #2 when father-in-law, never one to respect an animal, startled him. He opened his gaping incisor-filled mouth and barked, parting #2's hair down the middle and causing her to jump up on a chair and scream. I stood between them, sure the thing would gut me with those choppers. But then Aunt Eva came to our rescue, and calmed the beast.

I'm off track here, because my point is not the monster dog, it's seeing the world as cartoon.

It is my goal for today to see the people I come across as cartoons--this may seem surface, superficial, silly, a complete waste of time and energy to most, but I believe I will discover insight and a little needed comic relief.

I will see the characters at my favorite place for joe as the crusty critics from The Muppet Show. I will see my mopey friend who won't return my calls as Eyore (not sure how to spell his name--you know, the donkey from Winnie the Pooh). I will look for my favorites all over town.

I always thought my Dad was the inspiration for Pa in The Hillbillie Bears--he shuffled around and mumbled--you could only understand every fifth word--"shoot", usually.

So, I'm off--to find my cartoon world and see what I can see.

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