Monday, December 5, 2011

Suburbs of Our Discontent


What began as something charming ended up as yet another occasion to feel like an inadequate parent.

I am referring to my friend's decision to buy a canine companion for her dog, Puck, a lovely spaniel named for her son's love of hockey and her friend's love of Shakespeare (that'd be me). Her kids are so psyched! Anyway, now they're going to get another dog and want to give that one another name from Midsummer Night's Dream. Should it be Mustardseed? Peaseblossom? I think maybe Thisbe would be best.

In the midst of these important deliberations, my own children recognized the injustice of the situation. Their friends will have two dogs and they will have exactly . . . zero dogs. Now they're really mad. And they totally don't appreciate the cute Shakespearean naming thing either.

This is what's going through their minds: Mom's Obsession With Shakespeare + Naming Friend's Dog After Shakespeare Character + Parental Unwillingness to Buy Dog = Perfect Storm of Childhood Discontent.

(by the way, check out www.cafepress.com for this awesome Dog Shirt!)

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