Perspective

I was chatting with Lisa Barrett today at the Contact Zonies show. She mentioned how tense all the Starters/Advanced people were, and how agility used to be more about fun and the relationship with your dog. I agree - it's not all about ribbons and placements. This was Boo's third show, and he's showing enthusiasm and speed that I didn't know he had in him. Qs and ribbons just iced the cake!

Anyhow, another competitor was grousing about how much shows were better where she used to live and was, in general, upset by her dog's performance (read: her handling). I told her something along these lines:

"Wow, that really puts life in perspective. I found out this morning, at this very show, that my mother has terminal cancer, with only 3-6 months left to live."

And then I left.

Dog agility is not curing cancer. It's not solving hunger. It's not creating world peace. Everyone has highs and lows, but it's just dog agility, and cannot compare to the real suffering and other horrible things in this world.