Comments on: A roiling mass of black http://robinbrande.com/dogs/a-roiling-mass-of-black For writers, readers, and independent thinkers--book talk for readers and writers, life chats when we need them, writers' motivational articles, secret behind-the-scenes stories from the publishing trenches, and more. Tue, 06 Jan 2009 06:38:36 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.1 By: annette http://robinbrande.com/dogs/a-roiling-mass-of-black#comment-912 annette Thu, 17 Aug 2006 21:35:17 +0000 http://robinbrande.com/dogs/a-roiling-mass-of-black#comment-912 em-and your explanation of the humping would be..? em-and your explanation of the humping would be..?

]]> By: Emily http://robinbrande.com/dogs/a-roiling-mass-of-black#comment-907 Emily Wed, 16 Aug 2006 17:35:22 +0000 http://robinbrande.com/dogs/a-roiling-mass-of-black#comment-907 I think maybe high school is the wrong comparison. These dogs are family, so we have to account for genetic similarity. What about sibling dynamics? In his own life, Fil is probably just a big, cute, furry doofus, and so everyone in the family righfully and expectedly teases him for it. Maybe he's like that guy at dinner who eats all of the dip and then tries to kiss the wife goodbye. Or maybe he has gas, or a really whiny voice, or some other attribute for which a family is obligated to chide him. It's really a family duty to make fun of the doofus, not just a right and privilige. We all have little things that we tease our brothers and sisters about, and likewise they tease us. It is the ritual of it that ties us together, and so I do not feel bad for little Fil, because he has his place in the family, too. I think maybe high school is the wrong comparison. These dogs are family, so we have to account for genetic similarity. What about sibling dynamics?
In his own life, Fil is probably just a big, cute, furry doofus, and so everyone in the family righfully and expectedly teases him for it. Maybe he’s like that guy at dinner who eats all of the dip and then tries to kiss the wife goodbye. Or maybe he has gas, or a really whiny voice, or some other attribute for which a family is obligated to chide him.

It’s really a family duty to make fun of the doofus, not just a right and privilige. We all have little things that we tease our brothers and sisters about, and likewise they tease us.

It is the ritual of it that ties us together, and so I do not feel bad for little Fil, because he has his place in the family, too.

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