DAY 22; More from the AVAM

I'm going to Missouri
to steal myself a dog.

And this is a feat because
I've never been to Missouri,
my car is in disrepair,
and I'm allergic to canines.

But somewhere in Missouri
there is a dog named Jim.

Jim can decipher morse code,
he's picked the last seven Kentucky Derby winners,
and he can tell the sex of your child before science can.

and I'm going to steal him.

And it is not that
I want to break some secret government code,
that I want to develop a gambling habit,
or that I have illegitimate children.

Ok, so I'd totally take him to the track.
But that is really secondary.

I realize that Jim is the exception.
He is the doghouse equivolent of
the Harvard student or the Rhodes scholar.

For every gender guessing dog that exists
there are a dozen dogs that are good for little beyond
licking themselves

often.

They are working with what they were given.
And Jim has a lot to work with.
Like me...everyday. Because every morning
after a night at the track,
we would go into the classroom.

This dog can decipher morse code.
And while it really doesn't have
any practical application anymore,
it is impressive.

And that was just what God gave him.
He has no control over who teaches him
or what he decides to learn.

But all of you do
becuase you are humans
with control over what you do
and what you decide to learn.

So if dogs can
learn to smell the gender
of unborn children,
the least you can do is open a book.

And too often I hear people
complain about their situation.
If life has left a crappy taste in your mouth,
LEARN TO LICK SOMEPLACE ELSE.

Because we are humans and we have options.

Because every one of you can be exceptional
if want to.