Dingo the Dissident

THE BLOG OF DISQUIET : Qweir Notions, an uncommonplace-book from the Armpit of Diogenes, binge-thinker jottings since 2008 .

Sunday 19 February 2017

Suicide Postponed

Some years ago I decided
that if I had not killed myself by the age
of three-score years and ten,
I would do so when
I turned 75.
But now that life has become
so enjoyable, and ever more
surreal and funny
in this horribly mad world wherein I hide
(Caylus is so often sunny!),
I seem to have lost my sane desire for suicide.

8 comments:

Jindra K. Hrdlička said...

If you care to share, what changed ?

Wofl said...

I hate to admit it, but for me, life got better. Or I got better at life. And I have to tell you, Jindra, that I have a gorgeous new companion called Asterix, who would make a fabulous mate for Deena. More information by request. I care to share.

Jindra K. Hrdlička said...

I read about you and the issue about getting a dog and I was furious. I and Martina were rejected twice by the shelter idiots. And I and Dína are so happy for you.
When in the mood, please give us more info here or by email.
Asterix is an interesting name.

Wofl said...

At least now one can look at Shelter dogs online before going. I decided to visit a private (non-SPCA) Shelter which was on my route from Carcassonne to Caylus. I had two dogs in mind, and the visit went very well. The girl (young woman) who worked with the dogs saw that I got on very well with the one I called Patch because of a big black patch around one eye, and even telephoned to see if I could take him away immediately. No I couldn't. A boss-person would visit me at home to see if conditions were OK. She duly arrived the next day. Obviously she had decided as soon as she saw me or the house that I was "unsuitable". But at no point during the next 2 days did anyone actually say so. I wrote e-mails and was phoned by another boss-lady who sounded reasonable, and told me I could collect Patch that afternoon. 3 minutes later she phoned again to say that there was an Emergency at the Shelter and they would call. They never called. It was totally crazy. I live on a very narrow street. At both ends of it are trees and grass and walks - one of the walks goes for 50 kilometres as a Grande Randonnée. But this was not thought to be good enough. I was furious.
Then I looked up the French equivalent of Craigslist or Gumtree under Dogs for Adoption and found a SOS for As, who had been in the nearest SPCA shelter for a year and was considered unadoptable, because as soon as anyone strange passed his cage, he threw himself at the bars. His front teeth are worn away.
So I e-mailed, then went to the Shelter, and found that two very nice young women Volunteers had put up the SOS advertisement. As of course growled and lunged at me when we first met - but within 15 minutes I was walking him on the lead.
Next day I went again...and I was encouraged to take him home. There was no charge, but I gave 100 euros to the Shelter. He is very good in the car. He is in fact a pretty good dog. He is suspicious of men and children, but that is lessening the longer he is here. Basically he was the worst kind of dog to have in a Shelter. If they had kept him in an old car, it might have worked, because when I leave him alone in the car he just goes to sleep and has no Separation Anxiety.

Since he responds to the name AS (= Ace in French, and pronounced like AmeriCanadian Ass, which in BritIrish English is the equivalent of Donkey) I decided to call him Astérix, who you may know is a famous cartoon character. When I tell French people his name, they smile - so that can help to relieve any tension that might arise, because the French are not good with dogs. They simply cannot empathise with them - or any animal. They're as bad as Arabs in that respect...

(I have lost your e-mail address somehow - let me know it and I'll send you some pictures.)

Alma Kaselis said...

I am immensely pleased, indeed. For you and Asterix. I hope Nemesis can meet him one day.

Wofl said...

[Nemesis is an adorable pit-bull.]

Photos will follow on later blogs.

Anonymous said...

Why do we have to wait on pictures? Have you gone back to 35mm film? I am excited to see them :-)

Wofl said...

I write my blogs at least 3 weeks in advance...