Riley is my puppy, and she has a lot to say about the world and our society. “Conversations with Riley” is a series of posts that chronicle a small snippet of the deep philosophical conversations that we share. Please be sure to click the name of each post to view the entire story.
Me: <vacuums>
Riley: Whatcha doin’?
Me: Vacuuming – it makes the place cleaner.
–Later–
Riley: licks kennel floor
Me: whatcha doin’?
Riley: Vacuuming! See, I even sound like you! RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!
<smoke detector announcing battery is low>
Riley: What was that?
Me: Battery is low on the smoke detector
<smoke detector announcing battery is low>
Riley: WHAT was that?
Me: Oh I guess you haven’t heard that before
Riley: IT’S A GHOST! <hides>
<I brave heights to take the battery out>
Riley: Who you gonna call?
Me: It wasn’t a —
Riley: I ain’t ‘fraid of no ghost!!
<Riley puts her paw on my leg to get my attention>
Me: I’m already petting you – did you want something else?
Riley: Nope – I’m just petting you too.
Me: … I love you too Riley.
Me: Do you want a piece of ice?
Riley: Do I! <slam>
Me: There’s a door there
Riley: Ow.
Riley: I can’t sit still I haven’t seen you all day pet me pet me pet me I haven’t seen you all day
Me: No more coffee when I’m gone, please.
<Riley tackles me>
Riley: I loooooooove you!
Me: Hey Riley!
Riley: Stay away from my giraffe…
Me: I just wanted a hug.
Riley: The giraffe is mine, you giraffe thief!
<squeaky squeaky>
Riley: I like chocolate.
Me: It’s a plastic donut.
Riley: It’s a CHOCOLATE plastic donut.
Me: Such a typical girl…
Riley: <zooms past couch, bone in mouth, disappears>
~Time passes~
Riley: <zooms past couch, bone in mouth, disappears>
Me: I’ve been the victim of a puppy drive-by. You’re not tempting me with the bone…
Riley: <zooms past couch, bone in mouth, disappears>
Me: Give me that bone!
Me: Today was made for you Riley!
Riley: <Leap> <Leap> I don’t understand?
Me: Today is Leap Day – it only happens every four years
Riley: Wrong! EVERY day is leap day <Leap>
Today is Leap Day. Every four years, we get an extra day on the calendar. How boring and unexciting is that? So many people today are going to experience the humdrum of life (while forgetting the great things that come along with the things we do):
Me: Excuse me Riley, I need to get something from the cabinet
Riley: ?
<Riley moves, I open cabinet door, Riley looks in>
Riley: …it … opens…
Me: Cabinets do that.
Riley: <in her best George Takei impersonantion> oh my!
In many ways, Riley’s innocence is something we all share, and all too often it is lost too early.
Spring 2000. Y2K had come and gone with a whimper (where was the chaos I was promised?). My father had passed away the previous fall (miss you Dad!). And I had just returned to college after a nearly 4 year hiatus.
Continue reading Riley’s Innocence (And Our Own)
the dingo was here 