People skills (eighth day)

I have decent people skills. But I also have social anxiety. Reggie is the antidote for social anxiety. She'd like to meet ALL of you. At any time. She doesn't care that I haven't showered for the day (I mean, really, we go out sixteen times a day...I'm not always going to look sharp), or that my hair hasn't been brushed since last Thursday. She thinks any time is a good time to meet new people in the building. So we do, frequently. Tonight we met Adam when we went out before the Bears game. Reggie liked him and would probably go downstairs regularly to visit him...if she could figure out how to work the elevator on her own.

People light up when they see Reggie or Gideon. I'd imagine it's what I look like when I see a dog. Any dog that I can get some time to play with really. Whether it's sitting on a sidewalk instead of crossing the street at the light I was waiting for, or playing with a dog that's tied up waiting outside of CVS. Both those things happened in the last month. It's one of those things maybe you don't realize when you have a dog of your own - just how great they are. I've forgotten what it's like to have a people-friendly dog around. It's something I miss about staying with Michelle and Gideon - getting to walk him around the neighborhood and see him get SO excited to see EVERYONE. I'm not exactly a people person myself, but I do like dog-people. And that's who these guys attract. I think the greatest gift of having an animal, dogs in particular, is the way they share that great positive energy with everyone around them.

Everything is more fun with a dog around. I can't imagine going somewhere without my next dog, so they'll have to be outgoing too. That's why I envy dog-people like Christopher, who gets to take his dogs to work with him (he has his own business). They're pretty great dogs in general too.

After work today Michelle came by to pick up Gideon's Christmas presents and meet Reggie. This was very exciting for Reggie. Partly because she is excited to see anyone at all, and partly because Michelle went out on the terrace to play with her.