Nutmeg the Dog
Nutmeg the Dog
My family has many possessions: cars, toys, food, electronics, and many more. However, we do not think about these on a daily basis unless they cause a problem, and then we think of them only negatively. All these modern luxuries are taken for granted despite how useful and entertaining they are. However, one possession that can’t be taken for granted, and something that brings us all closer together, is our dog, Nutmeg. She requires care every day to feed her, take her on walks, and play with her. This requires a level of attention scarcely present for anything else that we own, and brings our family together in a way not much else can.
We got her about 4 years ago, and the whole process was a difficult one. First, there was the long drive to the breeder's house, a trip which we made as a family. Once we brought her home, she was naturally scared of all the new people, and was a pain to do anything with. She wasn’t trained yet, and our house was her bathroom. Walks were agonizingly slow, and often she wouldn’t go at all. The issues continued as we brought her to a vet, and discovered that she had both ear mites and a heart murmur, both of which are issues that could have been disclosed to us had the breeder been a responsible one. We were even considering sending her back, not wanting to deal with all the problems that accompanied having a puppy, especially a sick one.
However, after the initial period of fright and wariness, she warmed up to us, cuddling on the couch when we watched TV, or lazing around the house just looking adorable. The ear mites and the heart murmur were resolved, and we had become attached. She still required care and attention, as all dogs do, but our work was rewarded, with her becoming a delightful and trouble-free pet. She now loves to run in the grass, snuggle up to us when we are watching TV, and will even go pretty much anywhere with us, even on long hikes through the woods.
Unlike something material, like a piece of jewelry passed down for generations, having a dog is something that requires effort. The care brings each member of my family closer together, during both the good times and the hard times. When things with her were difficult, we worked hard to improve the situation, and only grew more attached. She had already progressed so far regarding many of our issues, and giving up now would be a travesty. I think that people will value anything that they have put a lot of time into over something that they haven’t. For example, I wouldn’t value a manufactured vase as much as one made with my own hands. Our dog is something that we have put time and effort into, leading to a stronger attachment and commitment for the future.
Despite technically being a "possession", having a dog is having a special, ongoing experience, and so many memories that my family has made have been with Nutmeg. She is a lovely reminder of the past and a family member to share new experiences with. The time necessary to care for our dog is more than worth it. The value that she brings to the family can’t be replaced, making Nutmeg my family’s most treasured possession.
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| Nutmeg Contemplates Life |
MEG MEG!! Your doggo is a great example of an extremely valuable possession to your whole family. I like how you detailed that it was important to the family not just because everyone loves her but because taking care of her together brings everyone closer including Meg. I liked the idea that you briefly stated in the beginning that most material possessions are only given extensive attention if there's something wrong with them. However I do think you could use this point more and not just drop it. The analogies throughout regarding material things such as the handmade vase are good comparisons to your dog and why it means so much to you. It was also really interesting to read about the history of getting her and the initial doubt that was necessary for increased attachment, and you did a good job not making the whole essay just the story of getting her. Good essay!
ReplyDeleteHello, Andrew! I really loved the detail in your story about Meg Meg! She is super cute and the way you explained how you got her and the complications with that process relate to me. My favorite aspect of your short story was probably your tone, as it was pretty comedic but also extremely honest and nostalgic. I see a mix of these three features in the quote, "The issues continued as we brought her to a vet, and discovered that she had both ear mites and a heart murmur, both of which are issues that could have been disclosed to us had the breeder been a responsible one." Your comedic tone with the emphasis of the walks and critique of the breeder's lack of responsibility are amazing, however I feel that it is also an honest description of how you were feeling about finding out these problems and I can see that the description of the ordeals that your family went through seem very nostalgic as you had adopted her some time ago. In general this was an amazing blog post, I really loved how cute your dog is! (I get so excited whenever I see her)
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ReplyDeleteHey Andrew! You've made a really good blog, principally by impressively discussing the details about how being a dog owner is all about. Nutmeg seems to be a very nice dog, and it is interesting how in your blog, yours and your family's perspective changed about her, since at the beginning she didn't quite represent the value that she has right now, and as time passed, she started to get along with you guys. I basically had the same experience with my little dog, and at the start I didn't really want it, but as I grew up, it showed to be one of my best partners through harsh TV and reading sessions. To sum up, your blog is really nice and, in my opinion, it's totally relatable with every dog owner.
DeleteHi Andrew, I really like your story and how you were creative with the interpretation of "posession". I think it was a good balance between your narrative and your personal reflection, and I really agree that nutmeg isn't an inanimate object that has sentimental value from the past—it's a live animal that requires a lot of work, care, and love in order to nurture into the happy pet she is now. Great job!
ReplyDeleteHi Andrew, I really enjoyed your personal reflection. While I've never had a "larger" pet, like a dog or a cat, I've had fish in the past that I dearly loved. I found your essay very relatable. I enjoyed your point about how the effort you put into Nutmeg really makes having her special to you. One point that might be worth exploring a bit further is: some people have objects that they're very attached to and spend lots of time on (for instance, a car). What do you think is the key difference between something like that and Nutmeg? I guess what I'm getting at is--what do you value most about Nutmeg as a living, loving animal? Great work!
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