Poodles Can’t Fly
Thomas Edison said, “I have not failed. I have found 10,000 ways that don’t work.” Although this quote has become a trite platitude for motivational speakers. My life resonates with the thought process behind Edison’s mindset. I don’t consider myself on the same intellectual level as Edison, but I glean inspiration from his discipline and dedication. Edison was strategically driven by ideas and a thought process for creating better ways of doing things. He didn’t focus on his failures, he focused on his choices. He understood the power of a choice. He chose to move forward after failure and setbacks. As my life journey has continued, the quest for purpose and success has, at times, alluded me. It has become abundantly clear that the choices we make will determine our future. As I continue to Dream Big Dreams, I will continue to Navigate Failure. Because who you follow or what you follow will determine where you end up.
The power of a choice can cause seismic effects in our lives. Choices are embedded in the fiber of what, and who we follow. I learned this from two privileged prancing poodles. If you believe poodles can’t fly, you are probably correct. I am inclined to go way out on a limb and state the obvious. POODLES CAN’T FLY! A friend of mine shared a story with me years ago. His mother was going out of town for the weekend, so she entrusted him to take care of her two loving and privileged poodles. This was supposed to be an easy task. All he had to do was feed them and make sure they had some fresh water. His mother lived in a beautiful house nestled in the mountains near Colorado Springs. She loved her wonderful furry friends. They were well taken care of! One male and one female. These two precious prancing poodles lived a life of luxury.
It was a beautiful fall morning in Colorado. My friend headed to his mother’s house to feed and water the poodles. As he walked through the door, it was undeniable the poodles were excited to see him. They jumped around with energy and enthusiasm. The day was off to a great start. What could go wrong? He made a cup of coffee, filled their food bowls with specialized dog food, and poured them some fresh H2O. These were no ordinary bowls, they were designer-made. Each bowl was specialized with their names on their respective bowl. The life of luxury was on full display as each poodle pranced around in their custom-made sweaters. The female poodle had a pink sweater with her name spelled out with sparkles. The male poodle wore a blue sweater with his name stitched in on each side. The poodles ate with delight! All my friend had to do was sit back, watch some college football, and sip his coffee. What could go wrong with two privileged prancing little poodles?
Life is always full of choices. Some are major life choices that take some time to ponder and think about. Other choices are simply daily decisions. We must maintain focus on the path ahead. Decisions have the power to change the course of life. As we will soon find out, things are about to get complicated for two prancing poodles and my friend. After they finished eating their food they began displaying their anticipation of being let outside to play. They especially loved chasing birds. The birds would eat from the grass while enjoying the water from the garden fountain located in the backyard. As you might know, these poodles never caught any of the birds they chased. But, they certainly loved to chase them. The yard was huge. The house sat with a beautiful view of the city. The mountainous drive and view to get up to the house is incredible, especially during the fall. Everything was going to plan! Dogs fed and watered! Now it was time to let them go outside for a simple little routine. Unaware of it at the time, my friends’ decision changed the course of history for two privileged poodles.
There were two doors in the kitchen. One led outside to a fenced-in side yard. The second door led to an enormous backyard that went all the way to the mountain’s edge. However, it was not fenced in! Without thinking he opened the “second door.” The poodles in all of their excitement to run and chase birds took out like a flash of lighting. The female poodle headed out first. One glimpse of the birds and she gave chase. Before my friend realized what he had done, the male poodle was behind in hot pursuit. Without breaking stride, the female poodle reached the edge of the yard. To my friends’ utter dismay, the poodle was out of real estate. Woof, she was off and flying. The male poodle followed in the same fashion as his female cohort. Woof, he was off and flying. A decision to open the wrong door and the male poodles’ decision to follow brought about a devastating end to a couple of prancing poodles.
My friend reached the edge of the cliff and spotted two unsuccessful flying poodles lying on the rocks below. They were easily spotted by their pink and blue sweaters. The horror rushed through his body. How was he going to explain this to his mother? I have always wondered what it would have been like to have been driving up the mountain road that morning. I’ve envisioned a family out for a scenic morning drive in the mountains. Taking in the beautiful foliage and enjoying the Rockies, looking up and seeing two “flying poodles” experiencing the law of gravity. I can hear the dad now, in his Clark Griswold voice, “Look kids, flying poodles.” Now noticing the obvious! “Oh no kids, look the other way.” The sight must have been horrifying. My friend stood up in misery, looking down at several bad decisions. The power of a choice was evident. Who you follow, or what you follow will determine where you end up.
Rich Binning is a researcher, investigator, and freelance writer based in Southeast Asia. He supports missionaries in spreading the message of Jesus Christ and works towards ending child trafficking and sexual exploitation. Rich is well-educated in Biblical Studies, Historical Studies, and Political Science, which equips him to comprehend the intricacies of cross-cultural missions and anti-trafficking efforts. He applies his research and investigative skills to offer effective solutions to complex issues.
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