09 October 2006

goodbye ruby tuesday (subtitled: they call it puppy love)

few things are as universal as love for puppies. who doesn’t love their little paws, puppy breath and playful demeanors? india has no shortage of loveable pups. dogs are as abundant as people and though the lonely planet advises travelers to “assume all dogs are rabid,” i find myself continually drawn in.

last year brian attempted adopting a dog. during the messy process, including night whining, barking, in-the-house defecation and attachment, i vowed never to become entwined with a pet. however, twice in the past week, i allowed my heart strings to be pulled and my soft, maternal side to reign without restraint. my first venture was rothko, the little black dog i had been eyeing in the bazaar. she approached me at the back gate on the way to school and i couldn’t help but take her home (consequently making myself late for work). rothko didn’t really embrace the concept of waiting for me, so our relationship was fleeting.

however, my ties to oskar/ ruby (he was so young we initially thought he was a girl). ran much deeper. well, comparably deeper. on sunday night i received a call from the dorms. the girls had found a puppy and it needed a home for the night (or longer, if i pleased, radika contended). though woodstock staff are forbidden to house dogs, i couldn’t resist. i prepared the house, creating a bed in the bathroom, making food, finding a leash, etc. man, i fell in love as soon as i saw his little blue eyes and teeny tiny feet. however, after sitting up all night, cleaning up puppy poop and trying to train him not to eat shoes and my carpet, i realized i was in over my head. fast forwarding to puppy responsibilities--coming home during the day to let him out, finding a home for him during school breaks, figuring out how to get him back to the united states and trying to establish a plan for the next 20 years to provide oskar/ ruby a stable home-- i realized that i had to get rid of my puppy (odd what a sense of ownership 24 hours can impel). i am glad to say that with the help of my students, we found him a home. and, this time via experience, i vow never again to allow myself to be so vulnerable to puppy love.

1 comment:

Izzy said...

on this, the eve before my return to japan, i have apprehensions on going back. i wonder how i would've felt if i only stayed for one year in japan. gosh, it was absolutely amazing being home! i can't believe i have lived away from here for so long! family and friends are so awesome...even after (or even more so!) being gone for 14 months! it's amazing how easy it is to get on the old tracks again...it feels like you never even left. i love home and i look forward to returning.

anyway, sorry that i didn't really comment about your blog. i think ruby is super cute. was he/she a mutt? any plans for the upcoming holidays?

ize

p.s. i hate dial-up internet. i think my parents are the only people in the world that still have dial-up. lame-o.
p.p.s. brian's wedding was absolutely wonderful! perfect. beautiful. tons of fun.