Persistence Pays Off?

I found something yesterday I hadn’t thought about or used for years, one of those little remote controlled cars. Now why would a middle-aged man have one of these? Yes the inner child in me, but that wasn’t the reason I purchased it. You’ll never guess really, but it was the only way I could eat in peace. Yes the little car and eating.

Actually George and his half brother Henry were the reason. A long time ago I would start to eat and both George and Henry would sit right by me and whine. Not the little whines, but the long carried out whines. The ones that don’t stop until they get what they want. I tried putting them in another room, but it just got louder. I tried to feed them before I ate, but they knew I was going to eat, and they would have none of the dog food. I even tried one time putting a large amount of hamburger meat in their bowls while I was cooking. They went over and sniffed, turned around and waited for me to finish cooking and start eating. Not a sound while I was cooking, but once I sat down to eat, they start. Once I finish I gave them just a little; I never gave them a lot. They finish the little I gave them, and happy now, go to their bowls of hamburger.

So one day the car came into mind. I bought it and put it on the floor. They come up to sniff it. They loose interest and lay down. Then I start the car and they both high tail it around the corner. While I’m playing with the car I can see both of them looking around the corner trying to figure out what it was. Two little heads, one on top of the other, peering around the corner and knowing they didn’t like what they saw. That was enough for them. So I put it up and the next day when I come home from work, I prepare dinner then sit down to eat. The car and remote are beside me and George and Henry start the whine. I calmly reach over put the car down on the floor. They back up, but the whining continues. I get the remote and start the car chasing them around the room. Not much and just a little bit, but enough for them to know it’s not going to sit there quietly while they whine.

So I start to eat again and hear the whine, push the button on the remote and the car moves maybe two inches, no whining. Eat, button, eat button, this goes on for a little while, and then they decided it’s not worth the effort. So after then I could eat in peace and not have to go through the routine whining.

So things change and I moved and I had put the car away and in that time Henry had passed away. I go looking for something in storage and when I discovered the car, what I was looking for was forgotten immediately. I bring the car into the house and George recognizes it right away. No movement from it, but George wouldn’t come near it, he wouldn’t even come to me when I called him.

A long time ago George started the whining again and I just put up with it. I could always bring out the car, but George and I have been together for a long time. It wouldn’t hurt him, but it would scare him. We’re both getting old and I don’t how much time either one of us has, but I can’t bring myself to scare my old friend. George will continue to whine and bark when he knows it’ll upset me, but that’s all right, because I know George really asks for nothing, except to be loved. He’s got that and he has me trained now just as he wants.