We are now "small" family of 6. Small being the operative word as 4 of us are under 15 pounds, 3 of us under 5... Me, I weigh 240 (on a good day), and my wife, well, she could put on a few pounds, but she'd disagree with that last statement... don't they all!
Our "little ones" are just that, four-legged, hairy balls of ego, excitement, arrogance, and terror. In that order, they go Trigger, Bryco, Laurel and Oakley. Laurel is 6, Oakley just turned a year and the boys are both under 20 weeks. For those who don't know, Chihuahua's are as loyal as any dog, maybe more so. Like most small things, insects, rats, etc... Chihuahua's are most comfortable within the safety of numbers. Hence our family's pack mentalities. My wife and I would not want to admit it publicly, but we both have our favorites. Thankfully it's not the same dog, and thankfully our favorites change (at least mine do, she'll always be rather partial to a specific one as it was her first baby that she'd wanted for 20 years).
My wife and I love our relax time, around the house, at the park, in the car, a nice walk... it doesn't matter, but being newly-married, young and in love it's nice to just spend time with each other. However, we also lead a pack. And the mentalities of the pack revolve around two things... 1) MINE!!! and 2) ME TOO!!!
For those of you who have dogs, you understand the first one. Unfortunately for those of you who don't have multiple dogs you can't understand the second. I didn't know this until last year. See, I've had Laurel for 6 years. She's a bitch. Please excuse the language, and I love her more than anything, but she is arrogant and spoiled... and since I've replaced her as alpha female she's become mean. My wife loves Laurel, takes great care of her, she's healthier than she's ever been... but they sure don't like each other. Such is the nature of the beast. Hell hath no fury such as a woman scorned. Laurel is scorned. It's a long fall from head cheerleader the second cheerleader and my little Laurel has taken the fall poorly. But she'll adjust... maybe... eventually... maybe...
However, now I have Laurel, and a wife... and three new ones we've acquired this year. This makes me the leader of a pack. Leading a pack is much different than having a single companion. This is where the ME TOO!!! comes in. Perhaps I should add a few question marks in there as well as exclamations as a dog's ME TOO!?! comes with a cocked head and perked ears... it is both a demand and a question. Laurel's ME TOO!?! comes with a childish whine. She's the mouthy one. Barks at everyone, even me when I come home. Whines when she doesn't get her way. Hufflepuffs and snorts. No one would ever argue that she has character... or at least personality.
So sometimes I like having my companion. My wife is my companion and I like our time together, but often, the rest of the pack neither understands nor approves. How dare we try to steal away out of the house for a short while to leave the dogs to fend for themselves. How dare we!! So often depending on destination, one or two of them get loaded up to go with us... now when I say one or two of them get loaded up to go, eventually all four end up in the car as we're backing out. It's bad enough to want to go ourselves, but to take but one, how dare we show favoritism.
But such is the life of a pack. There has to be a pecking order, there is no equality in real life. Equality is a fancy concept invented by people of higher stature to feel better about having to look at all those people of lower stature. Sure, you can call yourself equal. We're still not going to pay you the same for the job or let you have equal rates on a loan or treat you the same in public, and we'll be mocking you in the privacy of our own home. But we feign equality to feel good about ourselves. I'm not one for forcing equality. Equality should encorporate Don't get me wrong, I'm not talking about discrimination and there is a drastic difference between treating someone appropriately and treating someone equally. But the word equality has taken on a whole new meaning since the 1960's and it's unfortunate. In the real world you are either eaten, or you eat. And in a pack, there is a constant struggle for supremecy.
So all day long, I'm am staring at a sea of ME TOO!?!'s scattered across the floor, all with the same hope and expectation as the other... Do I get to go? Am I top of the list? Why can't I pee on the floor? I wouldn't change it for the world, there's something beautiful in being needed... Nothing makes my wife and I laugh harder, hug firmer, love deeper than to watch four small animals run as fast as their tiny little legs can carry them across the field at the park, or sit in unison desperately trying to be the first one to get the treats. Besides, it's kind of nice being the head of the pack, what man doesn't enjoy a little smug in their life some times.
