the not-so-scary monster

Yesterday, James and I were sitting in the sunny spot on the concrete slab in our backyard when we heard a chorus of childlike yells coming from the direction of our neighbor's house. We sometimes hear our little friend, Armani, making similar sounds (semi-dramatic, but not indications of danger)when life doesn't go his way, so we weren't concerned. A half a minute later we hear their dad, Floyd, talking to them, 'That's what happens when you leave the gate open - sometimes animals come in.'

I walked closer to investigate and saw my three young neighbors huddled together on their front stoop and a pretty little smiling australian shepherd below them - tail wagging. Their dad tried to round up the shepherd, but the dog really liked the yard and was doing everything in its power to stay with its new family.

James and I offered to help, so he went around the fence and I went to get some chicken from the fridge. Floyd managed to get a leash around the dog and politely tugged - the dog would move a foot or two before sitting down again. The chicken did the trick. We were able to lure the dog into the street and Floyd closed the gate. Of course, I made a new friend - the dog now sat beside me, rubbed up against my leg, and asked for more. My little neighbors did not want the dog anywhere near me. Still, I pet the dog and talked to it - James told them it was a nice dog and that not all dogs were mean. We walked around the block and the dog followed us, leaving the boys in peace.

They don't like animals. Their response to most living creatures is to search and destroy. I guess this could be typical for small rough and tumble boys, but it seems extreme from my perspective. They want to squash caterpillars, pull crickets apart, and they throw rocks at any bird who flies by. This all disturbs me. So, I pick up caterpillars and talk about the pretty birds and pet dogs in hopes that it will start to seem normal to love all types of creatures - no matter how different and frightening they may seem.