By Gracie Davis
My name is Gracie Davis (yes, that’s me pictured above!), and I am a newly published author. I’m fairly well known in Santa Monica – I frequently stroll along Montana Avenue with my mother. I hang out in Shabby Chic, get a quick blow-dry at Zaine’s Colour Salon (I love blow dries!) and wait for my mother at Kreation while she gulps down shot glasses of weird looking juice – I have no idea what that stuff is, I’m just glad she doesn’t give it to me.
I get my treats at To Wag For where I also meet some really cute dogs who are up for adoption because they didn’t have loving homes like mine. I am so grateful to be loved and I try to reassure these dogs that they will find their pack. They have to have faith.
Like all dogs, I know the pack is everything. Mine consists of my mother and a cat named Aretha, who I affectionately think of as Miss Bossy Pants.
The reason that dogs need a pack is that we are descended from wolves – yes, even me, with my smushy nose and curly tail. Wolves are bound by their loyalty to the pack. They love, nurture, play, and grieve over their family members because they know that nothing else in life is as important.
That said, while I love my mother, she has some really hair-brained ideas sometimes. Like getting me a floatie swim vest so I can cool off in the pool on hot summer days without sinking (it’s a pug thing, we tend to sink).
While I have to admit, it does feel good to dip into cool water on a hot day, why do I have to paddle to the steps? I know where they are, okay? You’ve showed me a hundred times. Oh, and then there was the play date she scheduled with Rocky the pot-bellied pig. He is also a celebrity in Santa Monica. He has his own Instagram account.
Anyway, Rocky was a bit territorial and did not really appreciate me intruding in his home. I could have told her that – what was she thinking? We went for a walk together after that, but it wasn’t the cuddly experience my mother envisioned. I’ve tried to tell her that her imagination needs to be reined in.
She did, however, have a very good idea when she suggested I write a book. I have a lot to say. I am wise, witty, and occasionally stunningly profound. And I photograph very well. No photo-shopping needed!
I’m proud of my wrinkles and I don’t have a bad angle. So…my book is titled “The Wit and Wisdom of Gracie (An Opinionated Pug’s Guide to Life)” – by Gracie Davis, of course. I’ve already gotten some glowing reviews on Amazon, a few from my dog friends who instantly recognized my Zen-like reflections on life and love.
It’s important to be recognized for what you can offer to others. It’s important to be loved and to give love. Dogs know this. Sadly, people too often forget it. It’s also important to have a soft place to sleep, arms around you every day, and a really good blow dry at least once a week.
“The Wit and Wisdom of Gracie” is published by Huqua Press (www.huquapress.com) and is available on amazon.com.
