A dog's life!

This morning we had to take our dog, Merlin to the vet due to a sore hind leg which had progressed to a significant limp over a few weeks. Now Merlin hates going to the vet, in fact Merlin hates going in the car  despite the fact that most of the journeys he makes in it are positive ones, he always reverts back to the trip to the vet or the dog kennels where he stays while we are away. 
Forget the trips to the beach or drives to a big park where he can run and play, his sole focus in the car is escaping from the awful thing that 'might' happen. 

While we were waiting to go in a man arrived with a very tiny chiwawa puppy that had been rescued after being left for dead after being burnt in a terrible accident. The pup was so small it fitted into the palm of my hand but despite her size she was very feisty. Merlin took a sniff and when she yapped at him he ran away in fright refusing to return for a more lengthy meet and greet. We all laughed at his cowardice but when I returned home I started thinking about Merlin's reactions to the mornings proceedings; he like us, often chooses to only remember the negative things about situations rather than being open to a surprise or a confirmation that something positive is going to happen. Just like him we run away from something new even when it is so small it can't possibly do us any harm. His decision to hide behind Stephen rather than investigate further mirrors our response to the 'new' things in life we weren't expecting. We tell others 'it was such a shock', 'it will take time to get used to' or 'I'll never get the hang of it' rather than seeing an opportunity for growth or a new perspective. 
Just because the car ride does sometimes mean something unpleasant doesn't mean it always does. Why waste the energy fretting, sighing and crying before you are sure. Merlin got himself so flustered that when he didn't have to have any injections and it all ended with a treat he looked totally amazed. All that panic (slobber, whining, scratched legs and very loud car ride) for nothing. 
Don't be like Merlin embrace the day even if it contains an unknown quantity, for the unknown may just turn out to be the pleasant surprise we weren't expecting.