Mille #39

Posted by Rob (Velveetaville, United States) on 23 April 2009 in Miscellaneous and Portfolio.

My very best friend!

Mille always finds a way to let me know that she is there for me. When we are outside, she has never, and I mean never, not either kept me right in her sites or at least made sure where I was. She keeps an eye on me that's for sure. There have been many times, when I needed it most, she has made her presence know to me somehow and it is as if just to say "Hey there friend, you okay?"

Websters dictionary defines a friend as:

One attached to another by affection or esteem

Websters also defines an acquaintance as:

A person whom one knows but who is not a particularly close friend

First, let me explain something; I have always been a little leery of people. I don't know why exactly, I have my thoughts about it, but I really don't know for sure. Maybe I wasn't burped properly or my Father didn't hug me or something, I don't even want to try and figure that out. The thing about not trusting people is that you don't let them in.

So, using those definitions, I have noticed that I seemed to have had many "acquaintances" over the years, not many "friends" but a lot of acquaintances. When I was younger, they all seemed like friendships but as time went by, I knew they were something else. I can count the people I called friends on one hand but really only one of them is was or is my friend other than my wife Phyllis. There just wasn't many people that I wanted to let get that close to me so I at least, never thought of them as true friends.

I have always wondered what it would be like to really be a friend to someone and to have that person return in kind. It took me many years to find someone that I feel that comfortable with, again, my wife. I trust her explicitly but can't really say, in my heart, that there were many others, if any I really could call friend. The thing is, even though Phyllis is truly my friend, there is still always some baggage that comes with that friendship, it is human nature. I don't mean to make little of our friendship, or love for each other, it's what gets me up in the morning most days. I am so glad to have her in my life but friendship with humans is what is is and that's is how I feel.

Now, I know there is one true friend, God but he is not of this world and I am speaking of the non-spiritual kind anyway. There is but one being, in my opinion, that has the capacity to be a true friend, and that is a... wait for it... Dog. Think about it, they are never judgmental, always there for you, give more love to the friendship than received, never holds a grudge, treats you like you are the only thing that matters in the world (well, maybe a good bone but that doesn't really count does it?), takes your crap and keeps coming back with that doggy smile... I could go on forever. My friendship with Mille has taught me how to be a true friend and I think it has helped my relationships with people in the long run. Oh I so could go on about the benefits of a Canine Pal but there are many more post to do that in.

Those of us who have experienced the friendship of a dog, will know exactly what I mean and those who haven't, well, you don't know what you are missing. I am not saying you can't have some wonderful acquaintances and maybe some true friends but believe me a canine makes for an unbeatable friendship that makes you feel like you are the only person in the world and you know it's genuine.

Anyway, that's how I see it. Maybe I think too much of myself and hold others to too high a standard, who knows. You, know, I wouldn't mind hearing how anyone else feels about friendships, canine or human no matter how you feel about it. I'm curious how other people really feel about the subject and know there are some opinions out there. So go ahead and let me hear it.

Cheers,

Rob

Please visit my additional blog Captured Light for more non-canine images.

"Every year, between six and eight million dogs and cats enter U.S. shelters; some three to four million of these animals are euthanized because there are not enough homes for them."

Note: Statistics are from the Humane Society of the United States website.

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