Julie Wags Her Tail



Not Julie, but in the same spirit

The other night Diana and I went for our usual evening stroll (you know, the one you pray makes some difference in regards to the bread, butter and jam you managed to fit in with tea after dinner).  Sauntering down the road on one of our usual paths, we came across two young boys chasing one blonde dog down the street.  It was cute to watch and I wanted to help them catch her.  She seemed unaffected by all just moving from one flower to the next and going wherever she pleased.

As I got closer I thought I heard the boys saying, “Julie, Julie, Julie” between laughs and reaches for the little blonde dog.   Ok, I KNOW the world does not revolve around me, but I swear these boys are saying my name. 

I looked to Diana, did she hear what I was hearing?  She told me that perhaps that was the dog’s name, that it was typical in Moldova for people to name their dogs American names.  This couldn’t be.  It was too much of a coincidence…a dog named JULIE in Cricova?  And so I asked Diana to confirm the dog’s name with young boys and sure enough they said with glee, “Julie!”  The Universe finds new and creative ways to humble me.

I was of course in shock and laughing hysterically over the irony of the situation.  You see, I have always had a good laugh at the idea of naming a pet a standard American name.  It’s actually a joke I have with some friends from home: a dog named Robert, a cat named Lauren…and so on.  And yes, a pet named Julie IS funny.  I am getting better at laughing at myself. 

The boys continued to chase little Julie up and down the street, always a few steps behind her unassuming and quick pace as she took in the world around her.  They all enjoyed the game. 

Om Tat Sat.