Gregarious

I have heard the old saying that dogs take on the personality of their owners. That certainly isn't true for Maggie and me. She is such a gregarious little soul. I am terribly shy.

This morning, I was sitting on the porch, early, smoking my first cigarillo, vanilla hinted. Joyce came bounding out of her house with a perky gait full of conversation. Maggie's tail immediately began to wag and she whined, longing to run over and greet her. My first inclination is to mutter, "Oh shit, I am going to have to make small talk," as I am overcome with a feeling of dread. I always end up really enjoying our talks despite my social anxiety. Joyce and I are two peas in a pod I am starting to learn.

"Do your medications make you sleepy?" Joyce asked me once again this morning. I guess she had forgotten she had asked me this before.

"Terribly," I replied. "Charlie brought them over last night and I was soon in the bed after taking them. I then usually get up at five."

"Me and you are a lot alike," Joyce said. "My Tegretol makes me terribly sleepy and I then get up at five as well for breakfast."

Maggie sat this whole time so happy, wanting to go over and greet Joyce. Joyce then did her customary baby-talk encouraging Maggie to get overly excited.

"How's my girl?" She said in her high pitched voice.

Maggie was in ecstasy.

"Well, I have to go open up the church and turn on the air conditioning," Joyce said, climbing into her car. "Do you need anything while I am out?"

"No," I replied. "Thank you so much for asking, though."

I watched as Joyce drove off to do God's work and Maggie didn't quit wagging her tail and whimpering until her car disappeared around the corner. I will say again that she is such a gregarious little soul. I wish I shared the alacrity with which she greets people. I want to take on the personality of my dog and not vice versa as the old saying goes. It's a dog's life they say.