Surely I’m not the only one who knows the ageless comedienne and domestic goddess, Judy Tenuta … and surely I’m not the only one who likes her “It could happen” attitude.
That being said, I’d sure like Judy’s take on all the old photos and news clippings cluttering up my desk these days. Did a crazy wind just blow them through the windows (which are shut and latched on these freezing, wintry days) or did they magically appear out of nowhere as a white rabbit hopped away with a sly smile on his face?
None of the above. The photos scattered about my office, and the stacks of video-tapes precariously balanced like quarters in a Vegas casino “flip-till-they-fall” game, are my way of looking back and seeing where I’ve been from where I got to. Let me explain.
Who (among our sentimental, romantic, ever-hopeful dog-loving numbers) really and truly knows what’s ahead? Who knows what’s around the corner on that path we take through the woods of life? (For those of you who liked my novel “The Blue Ribbon” you might recall the scene where Robert Sheffield is walking along a country path and his dog startles a deer. The path represents his life, the dog represents his passion and the deer is life’s unpredictable surprise) … how unpredictable those surprises of Life can be, is variable. But, the odds that most of us will have them, are something we can count on, indeed.
I can say these things because I’ve lived long enough to observe them. I’ve observed them, and studied them not only in the lives of my dog-loving friends, but in the lives of dogs, themselves.
For example, the beautiful young male in our kennel – years and generations in the making – who (when I was away at a show) chased some of the foals here on the farm only to have his tail stepped on and torn off! Poor Kelly (to this day she cringes at the thought of it) picking up the tail in one hand and the surprised pup with the other – running for her car and the nearest vet, hoping against hope that it could be stitched back together again before I returned. I, too, wished for that, but it
wasn’t to be. A champion-to-be would never see the show ring. Did I still love him? Well, truth be told, I’m an artist and looks are important to me. And “tails” are an asset I’m somewhat fond of, no matter what the species. There wasn’t as much left of him to look at.
A few years later, my tail-less wonder (He never made it to the show ring, but he wedged his way into my heart) smashed into a car, crushing his pelvis. This, of course, was more threatening to the bloodline of our kennel than any local ordinance could ever be! Time will tell if any of his lady friends have puppies, or if he’s strictly a boy toy now. Life has its tragedies and its mountains of joy. Dog lovers seem to be right smack in the middle of it, without even trying.
Speaking of such things, how many of you went to the Breed Show in New York? Did you hear about that? I loved it! I loved the whole idea of it. As one who worked his way up through the ranks (“clawed myself to the top” sounds more dramatic!) I understand a thing or two about street-fighting and PR … let me take off my hat in this old picture (Well, maybe not so old) to everyone who had anything to do with making this pivotal event happen. I could be wrong, but, twenty years ago – when the words “Animal Rights Activist” were first coined and desperate publicity seekers streaked naked in public making ridiculous claims against the rest of us – somebody might have seen far ahead to AKC’s Meet The Breeds show as a smart and healthy way to gain public support and desire.
Maybe, we would see a bright lady with a dash of wonder in her voice, saying, “It could happen!” … as dog lovers everywhere tipped our hats and raised our eyebrows to a smiling Judy Tenuta.