You know that thing about not making assumptions based on appearance, dress, demeanour and so on? Easy to say but difficult to do, right?
Today after work I was guilty of such an error: walking in the Town Belt with His Furry Highness, I saw a young bloke approaching us. He had on a hoodie (with the hood up), the waistband of his jeans was hovering somewhere around his mid-thigh region and he had the kind of ink which looked as though his tattooist had been interrupted mid session and never allowed to finish. Worst of all, he was carrying a dog lead, although his dog was nowhere to be seen.
The angst immediately jumped out of its box, on high alert: surely there was a pit bull or other vicious animal somewhere behind him, ready to latch onto Bristol and shake him, as happened a couple of years back (the memory of which still makes me die a little inside).
"Do I need to put my dog on a leash or is your dog okay?" I called out.
"No my dog loves other dogs," he said (What, for dinner, I wanted to ask).
And lo and behold, from behind the bushes emerged the smallest wee bundle of fur - part chihuahua, part terrier. Who the Wonder Dog immediately fell desperately in love with.
Mr Hoodie also turned out to be friendly, interesting and as gentle as they come. He and his partner had recently moved to Wellington and it was only the second time their gorgeous woofer had been in the Town Belt.
Yes, there are some beastly folk roaming the planet (some of whom I've had the distinct displeasure to encounter over the last wee while), but there are also others who defy expectations, who are pleasant and courteous and make you feel that all is okay with the world. Mr Hoody was one of those people and although I'm pretty sure I haven't been cured of a tendency to leap to assumptions, if today taught me anything it's that sometimes, just sometimes, people deserve the benefit of the doubt.
Okay, morality lesson over. Today's visual is of my wee angel who just happens to come wrapped in a fur coat.
Today after work I was guilty of such an error: walking in the Town Belt with His Furry Highness, I saw a young bloke approaching us. He had on a hoodie (with the hood up), the waistband of his jeans was hovering somewhere around his mid-thigh region and he had the kind of ink which looked as though his tattooist had been interrupted mid session and never allowed to finish. Worst of all, he was carrying a dog lead, although his dog was nowhere to be seen.
The angst immediately jumped out of its box, on high alert: surely there was a pit bull or other vicious animal somewhere behind him, ready to latch onto Bristol and shake him, as happened a couple of years back (the memory of which still makes me die a little inside).
"Do I need to put my dog on a leash or is your dog okay?" I called out.
"No my dog loves other dogs," he said (What, for dinner, I wanted to ask).
And lo and behold, from behind the bushes emerged the smallest wee bundle of fur - part chihuahua, part terrier. Who the Wonder Dog immediately fell desperately in love with.
Mr Hoodie also turned out to be friendly, interesting and as gentle as they come. He and his partner had recently moved to Wellington and it was only the second time their gorgeous woofer had been in the Town Belt.
Yes, there are some beastly folk roaming the planet (some of whom I've had the distinct displeasure to encounter over the last wee while), but there are also others who defy expectations, who are pleasant and courteous and make you feel that all is okay with the world. Mr Hoody was one of those people and although I'm pretty sure I haven't been cured of a tendency to leap to assumptions, if today taught me anything it's that sometimes, just sometimes, people deserve the benefit of the doubt.
Okay, morality lesson over. Today's visual is of my wee angel who just happens to come wrapped in a fur coat.
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