2 Dogs to Know Me

Part of the User Manual Series where I give some brief overviews of the media, experiences, thoughts that help make me...me. Released hourly on my 32nd birthday. I spent the first half of my life painfully terrified of dogs. There wasn't a particular reason for the fear, I think it primarily came from a lack of exposure. I would cross the road if someone was walking their dog towards me. I would leave a room if there was a dog in it. My first few encounters with the very elderly, very indifferent dog at my first girlfriends house were stressful. The rise of Instagram helped a lot. Seeing dogs being stupid in post after post acted like exposure therapy. Then the pandemic hit and our routine included a morning trip to the coffee shop that had opened a little window to avoid crowding inside. We would always see, and often get to greet, the various dogs on their morning walks waiting for their pawrents to collect their coffees. It took a few more years to go from excited about dogs to…