Your Opinion is Valid.

Be warned, inspiration can come from anywhere.

No matter what your natural inclination is after the 3rd paragraph, please keep reading, I promise there is a point, as always.

When an idea drops into my mind, I immediately write it down. I once heard a saying that the faintest pen is sharper than the brightest brain, or something around those lines. The saying encapsulates the idea that writing down even the skeleton of your thoughts, once they come to mind, is a good way to retain the authenticity and freshness of that thought.

This post is borne out of one such thoughts. Birthed after I put myself through the sweet torture of re-watching the movie "Marley and Me" at 3.00 AM on a random day. In order for this post to make more sense, I need to give a little bit of background. You see, I love dogs. I really do. I think they are not only man's best friends, but are intelligent creatures whose loyalty and love truly overwhelm me. I always had dogs growing up, but I had a very special dog called Snoop (I am sure I will do a whole post on Snoop someday). Anyway, this movie, featuring Jennifer Aniston and Owen Wilson was the worst movie I could have re-watched on my own, because the dog in the movie, (Marley -in case you haven't already guessed) was a whitish-yellowish Labrador, while my Snoop was a whitish-yellowish Alsatian, so both had similar physical features. Beyond the physical, both dogs also exhibited terrible puppy destructive syndrome, and reveled in the joys of chewing shoes, messing up the compound, tastefully chewing through new clothes in the laundry basket with the hope of creating a vintage rag look, running into the mud immediately after receiving a bath, amongst other unprintable but highly memorable evils. Marley becomes an integral part of the family in the movie, just like how Snoop became an integral part of mine, for almost 12 years. At the end of the movie, Marley dies, just like my Snoop died in the year 2012.

This is Marley's definition of GLORY! Snoop was not this bad, I promise.

I probably might have lost some of you reading this post if not for my note at the beginning, asking you to stick around till the very end. This might be because you do not like dogs and may not understand why I should feel so much for an ordinary pet. You might think "but this is a dog we are talking about, not a human being, Mariam can you please get a grip?" I have no problem with you if you do not like dogs, you have had only bad experiences with them, or you are simply allergic to them. Those I have a problem with are people who because they do not understand the relationship I had with Snoop/ have with my current dog, make it a point of duty to diminish or insult the relationship. My opinions and choices are valid, and your inability to understand them does not give you a license to rubbish them. I once had a friend who at every opportunity would  say terrible things about dogs generally, knowing how much I cared for them. You can guess that the friendship did not last very long. If you do not understand an opinion or idea, the least you can do is just to respect it. 

For instance, I like dogs but I am not very much into cats or reptiles. In as much as I would not own a cat or a reptile, I have the duty to respect those who own these creatures and realize that although I do not understand their choices, those choices are still valid.

I have painted an elaborate image using the example above. I don't think it is a perfect analogy, but I hope the message is clear. In plain terms, during this 20something journey, you will be confronted with opinions you do not understand and sometimes, your opinions or actions may be strange to some other people, but it behooves on us to in the process of assessing other people's opinions, not to diminish or invalidate them because we do not understand them. You do not have to accept it, you do not have to follow it, and even if you do not respect the opinion, at least respect the person. This does not mean you are not free to offer advice, it only means you should be courteous about it.

Respect our rights to be kissed by our dogs. Did you say it is unhygienic? Thank you, we know. lol.

PS- If based on this post, you decide to go next door, ignore the "Beware of Dog" sign post, on your neighbor's gate, and go ahead to pet that dog that keeps the whole neighborhood awake at the strategic hour of 2.00AM with ferocious barking, please note that we will not take any responsibility for your actions.

Please let us know what you feel should be the best reaction to opinions you do not agree with, but if you don't like dogs, I cannot guarantee that I will approve your comment. Just kidding! You know I would love to hear from you. #20slove