Pearls of Wisdom

"How far that little candle throws its beams! So shines a good deed in a naughty world. "

~William Shakespeare

Schooling...

My student is a "dog trainer". What this means is that she schools people on how to effectively teach their dogs. Thankfully, she is committed to accomplishing this task by using only humane, non violent methods. Early on in our relationship we did quite a bit of "training" together. She attempted to teach me to perform a series of simple, yet mindless behaviors such as sitting, which I do quite often on my own without any coaching at all or lying down, which I do even more frequently on my own. I clearly didn't and still don't need instruction on how to place my own body into simple, everyday, comfortable positions, however I entertained the whole thing because I quite enjoyed watching her attempt to get me to do these things when she wanted.

I am impressed at the avenues she took in order to get me do what she wanted. She never attempted to force Sensei. Firstly, that is against her philosophy on how to treat others. Thankfully so as she would have achieved nothing had she tried to use pressure or force with this honorable master. Secondly, she seemed to know that attempting to force Sensei to do anything against my will would be futile.

What she did was simple. She simply did something kind for me in exchange for my doing what she hoped for. Typically, the kindness involved meat of some sort, a bit of chicken or perhaps some roast pork. I quite enjoy a good tidbit, so I complied. There were times when she attempted to push just a bit, such as when she raised the meat over my head to get me to sit. I was a bit insulted by this and left the room. Wisely, she did not attempt again and instead chose to simply wait for Sensei to make a move and then reward me when she felt my choice was acceptable. I quite appreciated that she accommodated Sensei and changed strategies when I indicated her technique wasn't working for me. I showed my appreciation by working to figure out what wanted and complying when I understood.

I found and still find this arrangement quite enjoyable. We don't train together quite as often as we used to due to my impaired vision and her busy schedule, but when we do, we have an enjoyable time together.

It is amusing to think that she believes she is the one doing the training when clearly it is Sensei who is schooling her....

Pearls of Wisdom

"Believe nothing, no matter where you read it, or who said it, no matter if I have said it, unless it agrees with your own reason and your own common sense."

~Buddha

Packing...

It appears as though my students are taking some sort of holiday. They were up early, rustling around and packing bags.

No bags are being prepared for Sensei.

I believe that they are going camping which sounds dreadful actually... walking around on dirt and dust which is hideous for my coat not to mention my allergies, the heat, plus the abominable car ride....

While I don't appreciate being left out of enjoyable trips, I will quite enjoy the company of my caretaker Michelle who absolutely adores Sensei. If I understand correctly she will be coming by herself and not bringing her foolish young pug along with her, who can be quite exhausting at times. This will ensure more time for her to tend to Sensei. I overheard discussion of Sonic going along with them which will keep him out of my hair for the weekend as well... Yes, this may end up being a quite enjoyable weekend for Sensei after all...

Farewell summer...

I live inside a beautiful, lush, thick, black and tan coat. It is quite luxurious and I would not trade it for the world, however, when the weather gets warmer so then does Sensei. Sometimes during the summer months it is nearly too hot for me to endure. Great measures must be taken to keep me cool.

My student works very hard to keep Sensei comfortable, which can be a challenging task. Plush beds are provided for our comfort, but thankfully, we have cool hardwood floors which allows Sensei to feel some relief from the heat while lying on them. They have also provided fans for Sensei so that I may have a nice, man made breeze to offer some comfort as well. I quite enjoy lying in the path of the fan. When the heat is very unbearable, my students will use a soft mister on us to cool us down. I don't much care for the mister, for no matter how it is delivered Sensei is not fond of water. On truly horribly hot days, my students will sometimes offer me a cool, damp chamois to lie on, however, I tend to prefer the hardwood to the dampness of the wet chamois. Much water is provided so that I may stay hydrated.

Ahhh, what a relief that all of that is looking like a worry of the past as the summer draws to an end. Sensei will now be able to enjoy the more pleasant weather of my preferred seasons Fall and Winter. Farewell summer.....

Pearls of Wisdom

"But when you talk about destruction, Don't you know that you can count me out"

~The Beatles

Pills

Today my allergy pill was delivered in a "pill pocket" rather than cheese whiz. Quite nice....

Pearls of Wisdom

"Always aim at complete harmony of thought and word and deed.
Always aim at purifying your thoughts and everything will be well."

~Mohandas Gandhi