THE LOST DOGS OF LANGSTON.

Entry 14.

Chris Rock said wealth is less about money and more about options.

I'd like to take that one step further and say that wealth is about knowing which of your options are the best options.

Choices are things we need if we're to have the most wonderful society we can have. A society full of rules will have more outlaws than any other. It's in the Tao; something like that...the more reuls and laws you have, the worse your society is.

It's because the more rules and laws there are, the more the natural goodness in people isn't allowed to be expressed, because it isn't validated. If you don't make it fashionable for people to be good, then they won't be.

I'm not saying there shouldn't be rules and laws. There should. But there shouldn't be too many.

I don't know whether that makes me a liberal or a conservative. Something in me rejects labels very, very haughtily, with an eyebrow raised and a set mouth and arms crossed over my chest and an icy presence that you will feel long afterwards and not forget, foot just a-tappin'. (Right foot.)

Something in me makes me want to tell young women coming up in life that they don't have to have babies and husbands to feel complete. That they can make other choices about what to do with their lives and have very fabulous, exciting, adventurous, fulfilling lives. I know a lot of these people and they have lives like that and so it's actually true.

I suppose my "conservative" streak would entail that if you don't have a six-figure income, at least, then you have no business trying to bring a child into the world. Children are expensive and needy and you're going to need help, probably.

But I've been sorta straightened out on this issue...or, perhaps better said, my horizons on it have been broadened...by someone very smart who has other points that I can't quite remember exactly, probably because I'm very stubborn about my point of view, like most people. Something to the effect that some kids come from just about absolutely nothing and become billionaires. Or along those lines.

Like this...what does an elephant do when you corner it? It stampedes! If you give an elephant a lot of freedom to wander about, it will just mosey on off and not bother you.

That's why I'm a fan of the Ellyn Satter Eating Competence Model. But people don't like it when you talk about your eating disorder stuff so I guess I won't. But it's the very model of what I'm talking about here. If you CAN eat anything and everything you want, it loosens up and frees you from the need to HAVE to do that.

Oh I'll eat that tomorrow. Or sometime, maybe. It kinda actually works. Pretty much.

Then again, if you don't eat it, you can't lose it...there's also that...life is complicated...hmm. Don't think about it too much, if possible. That's why tarot readings shouldn't last for more than thirty minutes, because too many questions and too much pickiness on the part of the querent just messes up the free and open places in the psyche that are self-acting and that also have very good judgment, usually, in and of themselves.

But there I go again thinking people are naturally good.

If you tell an American s/he can't do something, the first thing s/he wants to do is go out and do that thing. "Waiter don't shout and wave it about or the rest will be wanting one too"; like that.

Freedom. It's a free country! How many times did I say that as a kid? Hundreds, maybe thousands of times! And usually with my tongue stuck out in derision after saying it. And a fearful scowl.

So forgive my judgmentalism when I sometimes look askance at those people who have no dogs or cats and truly no pets at all, and perfect houses with everything put away just perfectly and looking wonderful. Sigh. If only one could have pets AND all that perfect house.

Sigh. But I have to remember it's those people's CHOICE how they want to live, and it's none of my business telling them how. If that arrangement makes them peaceful and happy, so be it! Glad for it, more power to 'em. I can't be the judge, anyway. Or shouldn't. And they shouldn't judge me for my choices either, and then we can all live happily ever after, as long as no one's hurting anyone and everyone's happy and has things the way they like them, in their own homes and on their own property.

And no I am not always a socialist, nor 100 percent anything that you might want to call me, but I can see some good things coming from socialism that, if they are carefully weeded out and planned and monitored, might actually do a lot of good for people. Such as Medicare.

So. With all that, how to choose to name your dog baby? They'll tell you their names, if you sit with them and listen. You get to know them for a few days first, maybe even a couple of weeks. Call them something, but then sit and look at them and listen for whatever comes.

That's their name.

That's how Angelo's name came up. I was just sitting looking at him and he'd been with me about a week I guess or maybe more and I was just looking and looking at him and suddenly I saw the face of an angel. And my messy watery heart just spilled over. Angel, angel, you're a little angel, aren't you? Angelo. That's your name, Angelo.

Angelo. Help me make the best choices, Angelo.

Angelo.