Today, we are taking part in YAM-aunty's Final Friday Feature, with a special piece in which broader questions about achievement are examined with respect to my progress in my weekly dog agility training sessions.
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| Clockwise from left: Einstein, Churchill, Darwin, Rowling |
Can you believe that my owner Gail is beginning to doubt I might ever be agility championship winning material?
The accusation is that I am ill-disciplined and lacking in focus during the Tuesday evening training sessions. Clever, yes. Agile, most definitely. Creative in my approach. Too much so, apparently.
Well I guess I am not the first to have their genius go unrecognised in their earlier years.
Have you heard of the physicist who revolutionised our understanding of space-time but, like me, had 'issues' with school discipline? Yes, that's right, Albert Einstein.
How about the great wartime leader who was said by his school teachers to have a keen mind but a spirit not suited to regimentation. Sir Winston Churchill, of course. Although the description could perfectly be applied to yours truly.
Then there's Charles Darwin, he of theory of evolution by natural selection fame, whose father once said to him, "You care for nothing but dogs, shooting, and rat catching, and you will be a disgrace to yourself and all your family". Surely, it's obvious that an interest in rat-catching correlates strongly with excellence in other areas of endeavour?
Did you know that J.K.Rowling, world famous and phenomenally wealthy Harry Potter author, was at university considered just an 'average' student who prioritised social life over studies? Well I am also renowned for prioritising my social life, I want to point out.
I could go on, but I think I've made a compelling case. I simply cannot understand why Gail is still wearing her 'deeply sceptical' expression and suggesting how about I just concentrate on actually trying to follow instructions about weaving through the weave poles and not be forever racing off to 'socialise' with my fellow trainees, and then we might actually make progress at agility class.....
Oh it's hard to be so misunderstood.
THIS WEEK AT AGILITY
While teacher's pet Harrison masters the weave poles...
....Nobby and his training pal Breeze focus on scoring yet more treats...
Gail says she might call her next dog Breeze. She thinks 'Gail and Breeze' would make a good pairing. (A joke that works better spoken than when written down...)
Nobby - tell Gail (Gale) to stop thinking about naming the next dog and focus on this one. As for creative individuality, I'm all in favour. The world seems to be increasingly focused on expectation to conform to something and it is the free and creative thinkers who will get us out of the crises we have gotten ourselves into. It was your man Einstein who once said "We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them." xx TM
ReplyDeleteGail has now decided that Breeze might not be such a great name after all, as she thinks she might feel upset every time she heard someone use the expression "shoot the breeze".
Deleteoh we are sure you can be great in that agility... and maybe you can even be ion da crufts program once? imagine that you in da tv in da biggest dog event of the world
ReplyDeleteHari OM
ReplyDeleteWell, Nobby, having put your case so excellently, I think you could add the pawssibility that you might sit the exams for the legal (b)eagle!!! You have me mostly convinced. Hugs and wags, YAM-aunty xxx
Follow the example of the greats you have mentioned and you will be able to achieve whatever you put your mind to. Okay, at the moment, it's getting more treats, but we all have to start somewhere. (I thought Gail and Breeze sounded great, but take Gail's point about that silly expression.)
ReplyDeleteNot everyDog can be an agility champ, Nobby, but if you're having fun - than that is what matters the most!
ReplyDeleteYou are still young and I am betting you will do a complete turn around and be winning ribbons by the dozens and become Top Dog or Best Dog In Show soon..
ReplyDeleteWe can tell you're enjoying your time at agility training since it seems to get you plenty of treats. You don't have to be a champion just as long as you have fun, Nobby.
ReplyDeleteNobby it appears to me that you are not lacking attention but maybe you just march to a different independent thinking beat.
ReplyDeleteBreeze is a very cute name. The dogs on my cul de sac have fairly mundane names.
Baker a Golden retriever named after is owners favorite college football player, Jack the Black Lab, Rigsby (called Rigs) another Golden Retriever his mom told me he is named after a Boston College athlete, Maggie the Australian Terrier, M (yes just M) the Beagle and finally Lewis a Burmese Mtn/ Poodle combo.
Hugs Cecilia
We knew a kitty that was called Breeze.
ReplyDeleteI, Benji dug out a mole on Friday...so my digging efforts were rewarded...which means all the pepper in the world cannot stop me. Hah! *she* puts cayenne flakes in my projects and sometimes black pepper powder...well when you have an acre of woodsy terrier-tory, I just go sniff out a new place to work on...the current one is by our fence, and not in the back woods...and I have made *her* a professional HBO word utterer!! BOL!
I am good!!
Dalton got all crazy pants and tried to tell the unbfurbros to go away, but he failed in that regard...but when they went upstairs to bed (Sleepover), he grumped them up the stairs, BOL!! he is more nuts than the average pup!
Oh Nobby - if Gail has already chosen the name of her next dog, does that mean you're going to have a little brother? I don't think it matters if you are top dog on the agility course, all that really matters is if you enjoy it.
ReplyDeleteLove,
Paca xx
Oh Paca, how I would love to have a little brother. But Gail firmly says no, one dog is quite enough to deal with...
DeleteToodle-oo!
Nobby.
Well Nobby, some years ago we had three dogs at the same time - 2 Labs and a Retriever Spaniel X. We managed them well, but of course there were two of us and we were much younger!
DeleteI think you are a future champion
ReplyDelete