When I was five I had a dog. I loved my dog so much but it didn't seem to love me at all. In fact, it would run away when I came toward it and it always preferred to show affection to my dad rather then me. My puppy just seemed to have something against me. One day it all came to a climax as I came around the corner and saw my dog in the drive way. I offered him a treat but he took off to his cage and refused to come out. I sat in front of the cage and waited for what seemed like forever. I tried speaking loudly through the cage into his ear to get his attention, but nothing worked. He refused to come out. I was hurt. Silently, tears streamed down my cheeks as I went to find my dad. He wiped my tears and slowly pulled out of me what was wrong. He was then able to explain to me why my beloved puppy didn't love me back. I found out that dogs don't like it when they are pulled by their hair or dragged around by their tails. I found out that they didn't appreciate being forced fed food and being trapped in their cage with someone blocking the entrance. I suddenly realized that my dog didn't like me as a result of my actions. My dad brought my puppy to me and we went through a whole new learning process of softly petting, scratching behind the ears and speaking softly when I was close to his ears. After only a day or two of this new strategy my puppy would come running to me and we had many happy times after that. He lived for twelve years and all that time we were almost inseparable. I'm the type of person that considers my dog up on the list of my best friends.
It was my actions that was keeping my dog at bay but I was so blind to that fact. Sometimes I find that the same applies to our lives and our interactions with others. We see people acting in ways that seem to suggest they have something against us, or that would suggest them not wanting to be around us. We wonder why and say, “They must have something against me,” but we often forget to look at our own actions to see if that could be the root of the problem. How is our body language? Do we say things in a brash way? Are the things we say that are seemingly unimportant to us, important to them. Are we so focused on the things that we need to do, that we walk by people without even acknowledging them. I know many times I have found myself doing these very things and I know that I wouldn't like it if someone acted in the same way towards me.
Unfortunately, my puppy passed away a couple of years ago but I still have a place in my heart for him. As I've grown older I have also realized, and will never forget, the lesson that I have learned from him. That when I see problems around me, I need to look at myself and see if I'm the root of the problem.
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