Numero Uno!!!!!

Last week for the first time in 100 years a Beagle won Best in Show at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. Congratulations, Uno! Of course, this is not a painting of Uno, as I have not had the pleasure of meeting him, at least not yet. This is a painting of one of the millions of dogs that Uno represents. He is a great dog, as they all are, and he certainly appeared to be thrilled with his victory. I love watching the Westminster Dog show; it is one of the highlights of my year, seeing all the beautiful dogs struttin' their stuff. I do wonder that humans actually consider themselves qualified to judge canines, but as long as the dogs don't complain, I guess it is all right. Of course, I know that if either of my two dogs were to enter, they would win hands down. And I am sure you feel the same about your dogs, or cat, or horse or....
Which brings me to wonder what it is in the human psyche that causes us to turn everything into a competition. It is everywhere, in everything we do. There are so many game shows on television right now, that hardly anyone notices the writers' strike. Everyone has to be smarter, stronger, craftier, more popular, or more ruthless than everyone else. Yes, I know that many animals compete for food or for position, but they don't have this continual need to prove themselves. They don't have to prove anything, they just ARE. Wouldn't it be great just to BE and not have to worry about the impression we make?

One of my favorite little sayings goes like this:

When you are twenty, you worry about what people think of you.
When you are thirty, you don't care what people think of you.
When you are forty, you realize they weren't thinking about you at all!!!
(It is humbling for us when we finally discover that we are not the center of the universe alfter all.)

By the way, this is an 8 x 8 Acrylic on stretched, studio wrapped canvas, and has been listed on eBay today.