Karma's Kolumn: Good Advice from a Dog -- Mix It Up!

I told you previously I'm a Chow mix and I want to share with you what that means to me.  First and foremost, I'm a dog like all other dogs.  I'm not a cat, a horse, a rhinoceros, a fish, a mouse or a human being.  I'm a dog. 

My breed – my genetic make-up, physical features and personality -- are predominantly Chow.  I'm not mostly a beagle, a Labrador retriever, a bull dog or a Siberian husky, but a Chow.  Chow must be a good breed, because there's dog food named after us – dog chow, Chinese food – chow mein, and I sometimes hear people say "chow" when they like each other and are going their separate ways. 

I'm not a purebred Chow.  I'm a so-called mixed breed.  I don't even know what's in me, because nobody has recorded my family tree.  But I've heard that I'm lucky to be mixed, because it's healthier and makes me less temperamental.  It also keeps me from being arrogant and judgmental.  I can't say, "I'm a Chow Chow and I'm better than other kinds of dogs."  If I were to say that as a mixed breed, I might find myself in the embarrassing position of declaring that the Chow in me is better than some other part of me and I might not love myself.  Being a mixed breed keeps me healthy, humble and open-minded toward other dogs and people. 

I'm not prejudiced toward other breeds of dogs or different kinds of people.  I don't worry about what color they are, whether they are tall or short, fat or thin, male or female, curly or straight-haired, young or old.  And with people, I certainly don't care whether they're Republicans or Democrats, whether they are rich or poor, whether they speak with an accent, or what religion they practice.  What counts is how they treat me. 

I look at it this way.   Everyone I meet is a potential friend, and friends are good because they pat your head, whisper nice things to you, and sometimes give you treats.  I'm naturally loving, kind and out-going, but, to be perfectly honest, it's also enlightened self-interest for me to have lots of friends. 

It puzzles me why people waste time trying to figure out all the ways they are different from each other when, to me, they seem pretty much the same.  I wonder sometimes whether they think they're purebreds, when most, because of interbreeding among racial and ethnic groups and through personal evolution in thinking, are mixed in a number of ways – so-called race, ethnic origin, religious beliefs and political views.  The scary thing about people who think of themselves as purebred is that they may conclude, like the Nazis, that they're destined to become the Master Race and do all kinds of shameful things because of their pride.

My advice to people is to be content, like I am, with being mixed.  Sniff people out, if you must, but don't let differences stand in the way of a good relationship.  Differences make life more interesting and you can learn a great deal from those who are different.  If all dogs looked like me, acted like me, and smelled like me, my life would be boring indeed and there'd be hardly a reason to get up in the morning. 

Let me know what you've learned about yourself and the world from people who are different from you.