No, You Can't Have A Dog

As I pet my very adorable pooch, I’m reminded of a conversation I had years ago with my ex. I had just started working from home and our son was in school. Quite honestly, I was lonely. I’d wanted a dog for a long time.

And why not? We owned our own home and we had a decent-sized yard. I didn’t expect anyone to care for the dog but me. I carefully broached the topic with the ex. He stated the following:

“A dog? You need to learn how to get along with people, first. Try having a relationship or friendship with an actual person instead. You can forget bringing home a dog.”

Wow. I had thought a dog would be a good way to meet other people. I could envision myself bringing him/her to the dog park, talking to other pet owners, etc. But apparently, since I didn’t go out clubbing six nights per week with an entourage, I was completely friendless and basically a loser. But wait, maybe I had jumped to conclusions. I asked him what he meant. 

“You know what I mean. You have no friends. A dog isn’t going to make people like you,” he replied.

Double wow. Now, it’s true, I had devoted the better part of 10 years to working full-time (and then some) and raising our son while he paraded all over town. So no, I didn’t have a lot of friends to just hang out with at a moment’s notice. That aside, was it necessary to be so cruel and insulting?

The conversation hurt me to the core. Shortly thereafter, I filed for divorce. Interestingly, ex begged me to take him back, promising me a dog and anything else I might have wanted. Apparently, I had suddenly become kind, wonderful and desirable. Imagine that!
But it was too late. Our marriage was done, dog or no dog.