We all know those moments when we step out of our safe little bubble into the wider world — whether into a big city or a tiny town, where it seems everyone knows everything about everyone, even though they understand very little of it.
I am the keeper of a long-coated dog. To keep such a coat healthy and beautiful — and for the show ring too — it has to be cared for attentively: among other things, by wrapping it in special papers. For this breed that is something completely logical and painless, just as a person styles their hair or puts on protective clothing. And yet I sometimes find myself in the role of observed “exotica.” Passers-by who have no idea about it offer comments like: “What on earth has it got hanging off it now?” — or simply stare, appalled and disbelieving.
Why people react this way
Of course I understand all of this with my head. I know how the human mind works. People want simplicity and safety in their world. What they don't know, and what reaches beyond their everyday frame, unsettles or even frightens them on some unconscious level. Because they don't take the time to think or to ask, they explain the unfamiliar through their own narrow-mindedness. It's easiest to say something is nonsense or affectation — that way they stay in their comfort zone. But that speaks only of their horizon, not of me and not of my dog.
My truth, and that odd feeling in the stomach
Even though I know all this logically, and at my 56 years I am well aware of how the world works, that doesn't mean I'm made of steel. When you hear a foolish remark, when you feel those looks, you simply can't be entirely indifferent.
It isn't that I go through great distress or that I couldn't bear it — far from it. It's that quiet, nagging discomfort that settles into you. You have to act as if you don't mind, even though in that moment that isn't your first, honest reaction. By nature I'm simply not completely immune to my surroundings — especially when some narrow-mindedness surprises me yet again. And that is perfectly fine. A human being is a creature that feels.
The truth about dog “paper wraps” — and our parallels
Why does a dog need paper wraps at all? So that the long, wonderful coat isn't damaged, doesn't tangle and doesn't get dirty while the dog lives and moves freely. It doesn't hurt the dog in the least — for them it's part of grooming, just as hair care, wearing delicate clothing or any other attention to appearance and hygiene is for a person. After all — why do we style our hair, dye it, wear uncomfortable shoes or polish our looks? Because we care about what is beautiful and dear to us.
With this piece I don't wish to judge anyone — I only want to open a door to reflection. First, so that I myself can clear away these impressions a little, and perhaps also so that whoever reads this might think, the next time they see something unfamiliar: maybe it isn't strange or wrong — maybe it simply isn't part of my world. And that is perfectly fine.
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