originally published 9/29/21

True story.

            I used to own a potbellied pig. She was fat. Her bloated belly sagged nearly to the ground. She had black bristly hair and a pug nose. Her name was Rosebud, and she looked nothing like a dog. The reason I mention this will become evident later.

            I used to walk this pig around the neighborhood on a leash. We also had a dog—a scrawny, scruffy terrier. One day while I was walking Rosebud, my wife was walking the terrier across the street.  Two young boys rode their bicycles up the street towards us. One of them saw Rosebud and called out to the other, “Look! A pig!”

            The other boy was looking at our scrawny terrier that was nothing like a pig. “No, it’s not! It’s a dog!”

            The first, still looking at our pig, was astounded that his friend could mistake the bloated, waddling creature for a dog. “No, it’s a pig!”

            The second boy was equally perplexed.  “That’s not a pig! It’s a dog!”

            This exchange went back and forth for a short while before they realized their hilarious mistake, much to the amusement of us all.

            What a lesson for all of us. When we disagree with someone, on any subject, let’s make sure that we are both referring to the same animal.