WAY TO GO CHI CHI!

Today I had to give Ms. Chi Chi a pep talk. We began discussing the power of positive thinking. I told her that even though she is indeed blind in both eyes, nevertheless, she is still a young dog (only 9), and that there was no need for her to be giving up on life. She listened politely, and I could tell by the way her ears went up and down, she was open to persuasion.

I put her rusty old walking harness on her, and away we went up to Government House for a walk - just like in the good ol' days before the shutters came down. Lulu joined us but was getting mighty impatient at Chi Chi for delaying her. How times have changed! Before it was the other way round and Lulu could not keep up with Chi Chi.

The process of getting Chi Chi walking again is like a little baby taking its first steps. You need patience  and time. We'd walk a bit, then I would carry her, and she would walk again. In no time at all, she was walking by herself. I brought her into a quiet leafy area of the gardens where there were no flowers or people, so she could amble around comfortably. Watching us with hawk-like gaze, a little maggot of a man followed us and scolded me saying Chi Chi should be on a leash. I explained her sad circumstances; that she was blind and liked to sniff around the base of the tree, but got no kindly response from the maggot man. He did not understand what we were trying to achieve here. He was a volunteer gardener and I felt like telling him to chillax! Dogs and people have different ways of enjoying nature.

Fortunately, it was water off a duck's back for Chi Chi. She was having such a good time, she didn't take any notice of the fussy little man. Whoa! there was worse to come. Next as we were passing a couple by the duck pond, Chi Chi went over to them wagging her little tail in a friendly gesture. The man who resembled a stick insect insulted her, and said she was "chubby" and then thinking he was hilarious "you need to get your figure back ha ha" If it was me he was talking to, I'd have punched him in the face! I told him it was "Easier said than done!" His pleasantly plump wife rolled her eyes up to heaven. He must have told her the same thing!

Despite the maggot man telling her to leash up, and the stick insect man telling her she needed to get her figure back, and the blindness making her crash into trees, Chi Chi walked all the way home, with her little head held high and her tail wagging happily. I am SO proud of her. It must have been our talk about the power of positive thinking!

Way to go Chi Chi!

Love,

Patricia xxx