Two to Tango?

Japanese people!! Just amazing! The girls are small and cute (like me!) and go all squeally when they see me, which gets me all excited so I run around like crazy and they squeak even more so I jump up some more and start barking and then...then they get all scared and The Boss comes over and shouts at me! Well excuse me, but if she didn't get me all wound up in the first place then there wouldn't be a problem, so why don't you shout at her?! Hmph!

Life is so not fair. Why can't things be straightforward? Sometimes I just don't understand at all. Like why can I play with Italian Bear's shoes, but no-one else's? Why does everyone get to eat yummy pasta and cheese and salad and sausage and tomatoes and mince, except me? Why is it OK for The Boss to pee in the house, but not me? (They have a special room called 'Il Bagno', but I have to go outside!! The cheek of it). How is it acceptable to torment me by leaving literally hundreds of perfectly chewable items lying around the floor and only allowing me to chew about FOUR of them!! When it comes to making a decision between getting told off for sniffing around in the bin and finding something delicious in there, it's hard for me to make the 'right' choice!

According to The Boss though, things are much more complicated when you're not a dog. Decisions can be the difference between a great experience and a horrific once, between being loved and being hated, between being rich and being broke, even between life and death. One minute movement and your life is changed forever. Once she made a decision to go to Rome instead of Venice for her holiday and that's where she met the Italian Bear. This changed her life completely (In a good way she adds). She talks about someone called Fate and I find it a little confusing. Apparently Fate is someone that decides your future. So for example Fate would be responsible for the fact Japanese Guy accidentally dropped some delicious chicken on the floor yesterday, while I just happened to be in the vicinity of the kitchen table. So it wasn't Japanese Guy who gave me the chicken, it was Fate. Even though i didn't smell, hear or see Fate anywhere.

I'm not sure whether I agree with The Boss on this one though. Surely if Fate wanted me to have some chicken she would give it to me, regardless of where I happen to be at the time? But if I was not in the kitchen, how could I have found the chicken? At the same time, if it were not for Fate, would I have been in the kitchen at all? Or would Japanese Guy been a bit more careful with his food? Personally I don't think Fate is a solitary animal. Perhaps she is the leader of the pack. She lives amongst others such as Luck, Timing, Sense, Knowledge, Emotion and Ability. The pack works together on every scenario but Fate decides what the outcome of each play will be.

So what if I had made a different decision? Let's say Japanese Guy makes his chicken sandwich and sits down at the table. I come strolling into the kitchen and that sweet aroma hits my nostrils making every nerve in my body twitch. In my head I know I shouldn't jump up, heaven knows I've been told enough times! But that chicken is calling me! I can't stand it any longer so I jump up right at that panino....but wait, Japanese Guy wasn't expecting that and now it looks as though a bit of that chicken has got stuck in his throat. Help! I'm only a pup and I really don't think I can do that 'Heimlich Manoeuvre' thingy, what do I do??

Every scenario has hundreds of variables and thousands of potential outcomes, if not more. What puzzles me is why one outcome favours another. Is it really Fate? Is everything 'meant to be'? Or is it just completely random? Either way doesn't seem like a particularly good answer to me. When your life is touched by tragedy what explanation do you prefer? That everything happens for a reason and this is Fate. Or that life is totally random and sometimes seemingly unfair. When things work out for the best is that just a coincidence, or is it because Fate wanted it that way?

When something good happens we don't tend to dwell on the matter so much. However when it's bad news we always look for something or someone to blame. When I was happily munching on my gift of chicken I didn't care if it was Fate, Coincidence or Good Fortune. If things had been different and I'd found myself choking on a chicken bone, would I have been so willing to accept my Fate? Would you? Or would you put the blame on Japanese Guy for not being careful enough with his chicken? Perhaps the fault lies with the vendor for not advertising that chicken contains bones? Or what about the chicken herself, is she entirely blameless in this scenario? Maybe we should sue Fate herself, after all if it was her decision then surely the blame rests squarely on her shoulders....