Tail Of The Howling Hound

New Tricks A Old Dog Can Teach

Picture the front porch of an old country home. The boards of the porch are weathered, partly loose and creaks under the rocking of the proprietor’s chair.

The sun is settling off in the distance, casting that “sundown orange” hue on the face of the occupant of the rickety old rocker.

As he puffs on his pipe, he admires the colors God has painted on the field before him. He hears the faint howl of his trusty hound over the rustling of the wind through the reeds.

“What’s wrong boy?” the elder asks.

Not a glance from the hound. Just the light howl, more closely resembling a whine.

“Boy, stop that racket, get yourself up and c’mon over here!” he proclaims.

The defiant hound seems content with his moaning. More like complaining.

He doesn’t budge.

The rocking chair grows quiet, hands clutched around the arms with a white-knuckled grip.

“Dog, if you don’t stop that constant crying, I’m gonna come give you something to whine about!”.

Softly, the whimpering continues.

The old man launches out of his chair, wraps his arms around his old barrel-chested hound and picks him up from those tattered boards.

The whining stops and is signified by a deep sigh.

Just where the hound’s tail end was resting was a rusty, dull nail that looks to have been nagging the poor pup in the rear for hours.

“Silly mutt! Why didn’t you get up off that nail and stop the pain, instead of just whimperin’ about it?”.

The old hound stared back, blinked a few times with gratitude.

“I guess it just didn’t hurt bad enough, did it boy?”.

The Lesson

We go through life from time to time, not really happy with where we are.

Nothing seems to change.

We spend our time fussing and whining about conditions, taking it out on those close to us.

We just continue to sit on that rusty, dull old nail sticking in our tails.

We’ve grown content with being uncomfortable.

We moan and complain to the others around us. Annoying them with our racket.

When Will It Hurt Bad Enough?

When will you decide to stop bitching and get off that nail?

When will you realize that the change you seek requires that you simply just stand up?

When will you realize that those around you want you to live a better life?

The time to move is now, my friend.

“Don’t make me come over there and give you something to whine about!”