We don't have a dog but we adopted our handsome Siamese, Georgio W. Bush, from an animal shelter.
Posted on 12/16/2004 9:28:26 PM PST by Former Military Chick
BEVERLY HILLS -- Today, I will let other people talk about politics and economics. I am going to talk about something more important: peace.
By total coincidence, my 60th birthday recently fell on Thanksgiving. It is perfectly apt though, because my whole life is about giving thanks, especially for still being alive and hearty at 60, and full of fight. But as I was asked over and over again what really makes me happy in my life now that I am no longer a young hippie, I only had to think for about two seconds.
Yes, of course, I am primarily grateful that I am in America, shining city on a hill, that I have a great wife and son, that I get to live in peace and prosperity. I would have to be insane not to be on my knees with gratitude to the men and women who fight for us, and I am stupendously grateful to them.
But there is someone very close to my heart who brings me the best moments of peace I ever have, and peace is truly God's greatest gift: Brigid, my gorgeous German short-haired pointer.
A word about Brigid. She was an abandoned dog. I got her at the Huntington Beach animal shelter.
She is my latest German short-haired pointer, the fifth one I have had, after owning two Weimaraners. Every one of these dogs is a heavenly gift. To lie next to Brigid for an hour in the afternoon, to have her next to me all night, to wake up to her soulful eyes and incredible joy, that is bliss.
I have worked for two Presidents in the White House, been in dozens of movies, played in one of the best sitcoms of all time, The Wonder Years, won Emmies for my quiz show. I have been married to a glorious wife for almost 40 years and we have a handsome, rugged son. This is all good stuff, even great stuff....But....
None of this gives me the serenity that being next to a sweet, loving big furry dog gives. There is a magical connection between dog and human that offers a glimpse of heaven.
It's Christmas. Time for gifts. You can get the best gift there is -- the gift of peace -- for free at your local animal shelter or pound and at many rescue societies. You have not fully taken advantage of God's gifts if you don't do it. Diamonds are nice and so are clothes and cars. But a loving, sweet dog of your very own, or for your spouse or for your child or parent, that's the best gift there is. That is the gift of love -- warm, unconditional, devoted, peaceful love. There is nothing better.
Ben Stein is a writer, actor, economist, and lawyer in Beverly Hills and Malibu.
Happy to ping you, sorry that it was a double and not a single. :)
We don't have a dog but we adopted our handsome Siamese, Georgio W. Bush, from an animal shelter.
I got my girls their Christmas presents last night. New Kongs, leather chews and a glow in the dark rubber ball.
There is something to this bird dog stuff. Solitare is a rescued farm Lab puppy. When they were little puppies. Solitare would stand with one foot on a plush toy and pluck the fur off and then go for the belly.
None of my previous dogs did anything like that. It hit me suddenly that is exactly how you would pluck a bird or a rabbit if you were going to eat it.
I lost a lab last year, broke my heart and she had some soft toys that instead of a squeeker had animal specific sounds, the cat mewed, the horse neighed and the dog barked. She loved them. I had to sew them up a time or two from rough play but she didn't intentionally mangle them. She took the cat to bed with her most nights.
I have a multitude of pictures but I'm very green. I do not have clue what you have to do to get a picture out of my computer to send it elsewhere. .
Sorry about the loss of your lab last year...that's always a tough one. The feather plucking sounds cute! It amuses us to see our dogs doing what they were supposed to do.
The dog in the pic that I posted has this thing for red lazers...she will froth at the mouth chasing one. Cannot even SAY the words "lazer" or "red dot" in this house. Most dogs out grow chasing the flash light beam etc, but this dog gets serious with lazers moving along the floor or ground.
At Free Republic, we can't post pics unless we have our own web site where they are stored or a 3rd party host site like village photo or something. I'm using an HP (Ofoto) site to upload the pics to, and sometimes the pic just show as a red X.
Village photo is the easiest and should have clear instructions for newbies:
http://www.villagephotos.com/
Many thanks for the information. I may need my husband to help me. He is the computer wizard.
I consider sending an email a major achievement.
Your doggies are beautiful! I have a pound puppy named Daisy, too along with a pound kitty named Pandora and three stray cats we took in named Sonya, Hobbes, and Cuddles. I thank God every day for all of them.
You're right in every quote you stated. Dogs are much more frendlier than most peole. They don't backstab you, gossip about you, or snub you cold. They love you for being you. In fact, there's much we could learn from dogs.
If you like I can ask him, so that it can be posted on FR?
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