A few years ago, I lost my patience with capitalization, particularly in my personal correspondence. The exceptions were when I typed a person’s name or when I needed to emphasize SOMETHING. I’m not sure why I stopped. Maybe I was rebelling or maybe I was just lazy. Whatever the case, I’ve decided to exercise my pinky and start capitalizing again, just like Ms. Dietz taught me to in her 8th-grade grammar class. So – welcome back, Shift-key. My, how touching you makes things so big!
Do you guys remember that Dog Whisperer show with Caeser (SAY-tzar)? Lessons from his show will randomly pop into my memory, though mostly during interactions with humans rather than animals. Like, do you remember how he used to get dogs to shut up and behave? He used to pinch their necks and hiss. I think about that every time I’m around loud people. Is it ok to go up to them, grab their neck, and hiss?
Well ok. Maybe THAT trick doesn’t translate well to humans, especially humans who are much larger than me. But there was another episode in which this overly energetic spaz of a dog just wouldn’t shut up and would go crazy whenever someone visited the owner’s house. And this owner: poor guy. He looked so bereft of joy. He had NO idea how to deal with his dog, and GOD the clothes he wore were atrocious, too. Anyway, in comes Caesar to save the day. His advice was simple: give the dog more exercise because dogs, especially that breed, are not meant to be locked at home as much as this canine was. Sure enough, by taking the dog for a lengthier walk, it calmed down and was less aggressive. Hurray.
I realized today that I’m that dog. I have these weird panic attacks and/or moments of anxiety where I get really jittery and start annoying the people I’m around. Even though my mind is telling me, “Stay home and check Facebook,” I actually need a lot of physical activity. Whether it’s because the endorphins and hormones generated from exercising equalizes a chemical imbalance or the act of going outside refreshes my mental outlook, I need to keep moving.
I hope that’s not a sign that I’m A.D.D. though?!
Will Dao 