Oh, you’ve gotta love
them doggies! Thank you, Angela for sharing with us.
Covered in Mud
By Angela D Shelton
We love our furry
children. Ricky and Lucy are always up to something. One of my favorite “bad
dog” stories is when we’d first purchased the farm and were out working on
fences. We brought the dogs with us, but since they are both runners, they had
to be contained. It was too hot to leave them in the truck while we worked, so
we set up a dog run between two trees.
Each of them had their own lead, so they could freely run
about eighty feet, in the shade of the trees, or out in the sun to bask if they
preferred. They often played together, so there was also the ability for them
to be together or move apart. They had plenty of room to entertain themselves
while we slaved away in the scorching sun, repairing wires and clearing the
fence lines.
After the workday ended, we checked back on the two
hooligans under the trees. I honestly expected to see them taking a nap. Yes, I
was naïve then. I know better now.
As soon as they saw us coming, they ran to the front of
the trees from where they’d been busy working, covered in mud. Apparently,
their job for the day was to dig a tunnel to China, or so they thought. They
were so excited they weren’t even ashamed of the fact that they were filthy
with red Georgia clay. Stains covered their paws, snouts, bellies, and tails.
The hole was deep, so it was obvious they’d teamed up and
devoted their day to accomplish the goal. You should have seen their faces,
huge doggie smiles, happy with all they’d accomplished.
Unfortunately, we didn’t need a gigantic hole dug under
our tree. We also didn’t want filthy pets to bring into our vehicle or our
clean home. They didn’t get rewarded for their efforts. What a disappointment
to them, I’m sure.
It made me think back to some of my previous work
efforts. I’d work for hours at a project and couldn’t wait to share how much
I’d accomplished. I’d have a grin a mile wide on my face, ready to have praise
heaped upon me.
How frustrating when I’d find out the project wasn’t what
someone needed, or the method used was flawed, or any of a zillion other
reasons that I don’t get positive feedback. As a younger professional, I’ll
admit I didn’t handle this type of rejection well.
Most
of us go through a growing phase of learning how to deal with constructive
criticism. As you mature, you learn to take in those minor blows to the ego and
grow from them. Some who’ve been around long enough can take it one level above
that—how to learn from criticism that isn’t constructive.
Let
me share a life lesson with you, my precious reader. If you want to move in a
positive direction in life, you need to learn how to deal with your mistakes
positively. Not all people, even those who end up in authority, can provide
feedback in a way that builds up instead of tearing down. Accept the concepts
they are sharing and evaluate whether there is a basis for improvement. Use any
nuggets you can find to improve your end product.
Never
stop growing. As soon as you do, you’re dead in the water. And that isn’t where
any of us want to be.
“Let
us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a
harvest if we do not give up.” Galatians 6:9 NIV
<<>>
My
upcoming novel, Collapse: The Death of Friendship is on presale with Amazon
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On the verge of losing friendships forever, sixteen-year-old
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before her family has to fight off the marauders headed their way.
You can sign up to be an Advance Copy
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