Bing

Bing is the name of my mother-in-law's dog. He is one of those small white dogs - small in size but plenty of yaps. That was when he was young. He is now eleven or twelve years old, which I guess in dog years is around 80! He still has plenty of running left in him, but his bark has gone noticeably softer.

I always make a point of greeting him with a pat; partly because everyone else is so used to having him around that they go about their own things first. I do it because if ever I were to be a dog, I would like to be acknowledged when visitors visit. Our routine would be him standing on his hind legs with his front paws on my thigh and me patting his head. We would be there until one of us get bored and leave to do something else. Then I would have this Obsessive Compulsive Disorder of washing my hands before touching anything else. Why I do this, I don't really know. Maybe he is getting old and sometimes he gets a bit smelly. But I just got to wash my hands.

I always have this strange feeling that Bing likes to mock me. Every time he notices me washing my hands, he would come over for a pat and our routine would start again. When it starts to get tiring, I would put off washing my hands but the mutt frustratingly would not come over. I would then wash my hands when he is out of sight and hope I can enjoy being in my in-law's house before my next trip to the basin.

Yesterday evening I was in my in-law's house again. A hot cup of coffee was brought to me and I had the use of the computer. Also, my in-laws have just bought this excellent bottle of peanuts; so everything seemed perfect for a spot of peanuts with coffee. Just as I sat down, I noticed Bing coming towards me. Instinctively, I closed my hands over the peanuts and stared intently at the computer to avoid eye contact. Ha! It worked. He did not come over and lied down nearby. I can then enjoy my peanuts guilt-free. Or so I thought. I found myself, discretely putting some peanuts into my mouth and chewing ever so slowly that Bing would not notice the crunch of the nuts.

How pathetic am I?! Or was I being selfish? Maybe I should be thinking about karma and be not so much into myself. Speaking of karma, I have been enjoying my practice; but the progress seemed to have plateau off. I need to kick it into another gear - or should I?

I've been thinking of returning to Mysore for two weeks - the same duration as my first time. My Home Minister has given the go ahead. If I can get past the guilt factor and embrace the selfish one, I could be in Mysore in September!