I am cursed with having a serious case of Foot in Mouth Disease. I have spoken with my doctor and he assures me that there is nothing he can do about it. I will just have to learn to moderate myself and deal with it. Thus far, I have been unsuccessful at moderating and this morning was no exception.
I actually spoke to Babka about writing this blog post, as I thought she may want to use it for her blog, but she was uninterested. After all, she wasn’t there and did not want to retell a story, in which she would undoubtedly talk about what a fool I am, when she did not witness the event firsthand.
This morning, while at a meeting at a restaurant (with about 25 people at my table) I saw a car parked out front with a dog inside. So, I turned to those at my end of the table and asked if anyone saw who the car belonged to. The car owners were pointed out to me, and I felt it was my duty to make sure that dog did not suffocate while his owners had breakfast. Dogs die every day in the heat when their humans “just run in for a minute” and leave them in the heat. Even with a window slightly open, dogs can suffocate. I did what I thought anyone else would do, and marched right over to their table and struck up a conversation. (All the while, those who pointed out the car owners just stared at me, jaws wide open.)
Me: Hi! Is that your car? (pointing to the dog in car)
Nice people with dog in car: Yes, why do you ask?
Me: There is a dog in there.
NPWDIC: Yes... (they say, anxious for me to get to the point and leave them alone to enjoy their eggs)
Me: It’s around 90 degrees outside right now.
NPWDIC: Right. That is why we left the car running and the air conditioning on.
Me: Excuse me while I remove this nice hunk of shoe leather from my mouth. Here, please take some samples of Babka Bars gourmet dog treats.
NPWDIC: Thank you for caring (and for the treats).
Then I learn that he is a local elected official, and running for reelection. If I were in his district, I would certainly vote for the guy that cares about his dog! As I returned to the table, and retell the saga of the A/C running, I am met with a whole bunch of people trying (mostly successfully) to not laugh at me. It’s OK. I certainly deserved the mocking for assuming the worst.
7 thoughts on “Foot In Mouth”
Caring about helpless animals and insuring they are not being abused is nothing to feel bad about.
True. But feeling like a jackass, on the other hand…
Don’t worry about assuming the worst. It is genetic.
…and no medical fix for that either. Perhaps genetic testing needs to be improved.
It’s better to err on the side of caution. You did the right thing, advocating for a dog who, as far as you knew, was in danger.
Thank you. I mean it. I still feel like a jerk, but at least I know the dog was safe (and, as I later learned, getting a side order of bacon).
He shouldn’t have left the car running and polluting the air and wasting gas too!! he should have left his dog at home, where he would have been more comfortable.