I don't know if I can describe myself an animal lover. Something happened when I was very young that made me fear all animals in general. I know that I had once an episode with small black dog barking at me. It was a surprise from nowhere, and I was only four or five years old. Until today I still remember those sharp white teeth going after me and those white eyes saying
'I am going to get you'.
In the old days, when I was ten years old, we lived on this semi-farm, where my parents and grandparents had one cow, one pig, few chickens, ducks, horses and may be rabbits. All for food. It was just like living on the organic farm. Most of our food was almost home made.
'Good old days' - I say. But not so good if I had to deal with the farm animals. I still remember those geese or roosters going after me, never mind dogs. I guess animals can sense if you fear them.
At times I was asked to take a cow to the fields. Until today, I remember how I did it. I simply took the cow, I was trembling then, and position this one big black cow so she walked on the other side of the street and me on the other. I for some reason kept looking at her, straight into her eyes, all the way to the field. Boy, the five minutes felt like hours. I pinned the cow, and ran home. Never again. Next day I asked my parents not to do it again. To my surprise, they agreed. So my five year old sister then took the cow to the fields. All I have to say she was a brave child.
Years passed with very little interest in any domestic animals. They were just cute to me, but nothing more or less. Let say that later when I was in my late twenties, I found out two things about cats and dogs.
Few years ago I was visiting my sister in her apartment. By the end of the night her cat and me finally warmed up to each other, thus the cat ended up sitting on my laps. Suddenly, the cat's body started to make funny sound and emitting funny vibration.
'Oh my', I told my sister,
'I think there is something wrong with your cat, do you think we need to take him to the washroom?' She laughed, and replied,
'the cat likes you'. Lesson learned - the cat was purring.
Some moons ago, my husband and me were attending a birthday party. When food got ready, a group of us got up and started to walk towards the buffet area. As we were walking my brother-in-law took his arm and put on my shoulder. Suddenly, a dog that belonged to my then future sister-in-law, jumped on my one leg and made a happy face. Since I had my brother-in-law close by, I accepted, and out loud with big smile on my face I said,
'look, look, this dog likes me ...'.
'Anna I think its more than that ...', my sister-in-law replied. Lesson learned - the dog was humping me. Yeah this dog was a real leg hugger especially when others hugged too, lol.
I still laugh at myself. But hey some of us learn things later in life.
