Once upon a time, I lived in a two story house with an adorable biker guy and two big dogs. I was his roommate, the biker guy, not so much the dogs. 🙂
He was an older gentleman, with a long white beard, the kind of guy who would smile and talk with you no matter who you were, unless you pissed him off of course, then you were dead to him.
Chuck drove a big truck and had several Harley’s. He went to Sturgis every year and several other biker events. He was my first introduction into the biker world.
Chuck was a longshoreman in the Port of Tacoma and he worked swing shift. I had recently found myself seeking a new place to live, and he overheard and offered me said roommate-ship. There was no catch. Chuck worked from 4pm to 2 am four nights a week and was concerned that his house was empty during the most vulnerable times of day (well, night actually). I was (and am) an office chick, and kept regular office hours. A deal was made, and I took up residence on the second floor of his home, though I rarely saw him during the week.
Chuck had two dogs that he had inherited from his daughter in one of her many moves.
Molly, a Great Dane.
And a stinky old sheepdog, who’s name I cannot remember.
Now Molly, she was mean dog. Whenever anyone came to the gate, or even as they came into the gate and proceeded into the house, she would bark viciously. She was a very scary girl.
The thing about Molly was that she would do nothing more to you than stay about five feet away and bark her head off as long as you maintained eye contact.
As soon as you turned your back on her, then she would promptly nip you right in the butt. She would nip you ( or anybody else) right in the butt every single time.
I entered that house backwards so many times…………
Now the stinky old sheepdog, he was just as big as Molly, but was constantly matted and dirty. You can’t stop a dog from rolling around in the dirt all day can you? And since Chuck didn’t have any particular affinity for either dog, the sheepdog often had dreadlocks, and you could never see his eyes.
He was a super nice dog though. He wanted to be petted and loved all the time. He was just as big as Molly, but equally as opposite in personality.
And of course Molly got all the attention, because she was noisy and sometimes because she was scary.
Then one day, I came home from work and lo and behold the sheepdog had been bathed and shaved. Boy did he look different, but I tell you what, that day we sure did play in the backyard, and he got those scratches and cuddles that he wanted, and I never did look at him like he was a stinky sheepdog again, even though eventually he did return to dreadlock, dirty sheepdog status again.
I bet you’re thinking that this story is not about dogs.
It’s not.
It’s about all of us.
We all know some Molly’s. Someone who because of their size and status and general noisiness gets a lot of attention. I bet you know someone just like that. Someone that in fact, may very well bite you in the butt if you turn your back on them for a hot second.
We all know even more stinky sheepdogs. People that are generally quiet and lovable, except there’s just something unappetizing about the way they take care of themselves. And that doesn’t just mean outside, that means inside too, there are a lot of people out there with no self love, no self esteem. Those people often clean up well, mean well and just want to be loved, just like that stinky sheepdog.
Maybe think about this story next time you find yourself face to face with a Molly or a stinky sheepdog.
Consider if maybe you ever behave like a Molly, or if your hair is slowly starting to resemble dreadlocks (and perhaps you are a little smelly inside or out).
I hope that you consciously choose not to be a Molly.
Me? I’m a Benji. 🙂