- by Carolyn (and George P.) Nowack
(This week’s article explores the recent experiences Carolyn (and I) have had…and, how they compare with Life’s most “memorable” moments! Thanks, Carolyn!)
As I sit here staring at the blob of melty Coconut Oil moisturizing my carpet, shirt, pants, hands, and dog, I wonder: “WHY IS IT WE NEED TO COERCE, TRICK, FOOL, OR EVEN THREATEN ONE WE LOVE IN ORDER TO GET THEM TO DO SOMETHING WHICH WE KNOW VERY WELL IS IN THEIR BEST INTEREST?
After a visit to the vet, our boy, Hobbes, was prescribed large, smelly, antibiotics capsules. I did mention VERY smelly? Fortunately, for all of us, we discovered long ago how to disguise them, and trick our very intelligent German Shepherd into chowing them down like they were filet mignon. So, no problem there.
Unfortunately, his skin is also as dry as the Sahara Desert, and he is as flaky as a bowl of corn cereal with a similar name. There was also a rumor that Head & Shoulders wanted to use him in a commercial as an example of “BEFORE” using out product!
WHAT TO DO???
Based on what we had read and heard, Extra Virgin Coconut Oil works very well given internally. We had even read that you can rub it into their coat. However, after handling this “wonder substance,” we felt that smearing this oily concoction on him would give us the equivalent to a greased pig. So…we tried giving it to him at room temp. NO DICE! We tried it cold…you have GOT to be kidding. We even tried peanut butter. What a fiasco! This stuff is not cheap…and it was for his own good.
Heaven knows we weren’t getting anything out of this treatment, other than frustration. We certainly didn’t want to be known as the folks with the dog that left about an inch or two of flakes in his wake.
WHAT TO DO??
While racking my brain for a solution, I thought about how hard we often work to get someone, or some pet, to do what we believe is in their best interest. Yes, I had to multi-task on this one.
As babies, we really have no choice in what happens with our person, though our voices make it quite clear when we are not in agreement with our elders. We are completely in their power…eating baby food that looks or smells nothing like what they get to eat.
We go to bed, sleepy or not, and lie looking at the ceiling while everyone else is out of sight, laughing, and having a great time.
We wear what they put on us. Have no say in where we go, or what we do. No wonder the desire to rebel begins as soon as we learn a word or two!
Unfortunately, for our elders, one of those words is “NO.” It creeps up more and more often in our responses to things we don’t like or want.
“Eat your liver”…MY LIVER? Didn’t ask for it. “There are starving Children”…Then send it to them. “You will not leave this table until all of your liver is gone”…I have to go to the bathroom. Twenty minutes later, “What are you doing in there?”
The older we get, the worse we become:
“Don’t run with scissors…don’t eat paste…don’t hit your brother (or sister)…don’t play with matches…be home before the streetlights come on… and, DON’T eat that now, you’ll spoil your dinner.”
As you gradually get older, this attitude spreads outside of your home.
“Do your Homework or I’ll call your home.” Tardy for class? That’s detention! The threats and manipulation changes along with age. We realize that much of what we endured as children was for our own good, and we really are more mature adults because of it.
ALL GROWN UP!
Yes, now we are in charge, to some extent. We can come and go as we like…sometimes. Wear what we want…when appropriate. Listen to what we enjoy…as long as it isn’t too loud. However, we can still hear those adult voices, which have become our conscience, in the back of our minds…still threatening us with sitting in the corner.
AND THEN…
So we learned to trick Hobbes.
We use cream cheese, peanut butter, and a host of other “people” foods to disguise his medicines. The Coconut Oil is blanketed in a dollop of cream cheese, to make it more palatable, as it goes happily down his unsuspecting throat.
Did I come out on top; did I win the battle of wills? OH YES I DID! I am, however, eternally grateful Hobbes will remain the mental age of a three year old…or I would be in SO much trouble!
“A Spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down
The medicine go down-wown
The medicine go down
Just a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down
In a most delightful way.”
JULIE ANDREWS
- (A Spoonful of Sugar…
from MARY POPPINS)
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