For Sale

At the pound looking for a new bitch… excuse me.

—Jig3125

So there I was…

At the pound.

Looking around.

Plenty of dogs.

Different sizes.

Different personalities.

Some barking.

Some sleeping.

Some looking at me like they were conducting the interview.

I had one simple question.

“I’m looking for a new bitch.”

Silence.

A few heads turned.

One person looked offended.

Another looked confused.

The dog in the corner looked completely unbothered.

That’s when it hit me.

Wrong audience.

Very wrong audience.

Excuse me…

I meant a female dog.

That’s the problem with words.

Context can save you.

Context can also abandon you at the exact moment you need it most.

The same word can be harmless in one sentence and completely different in another.

Intent doesn’t always travel with vocabulary.

Sometimes it gets left at the door.

So perhaps the lesson is simple:

Say what you mean.

Know where you are.

And maybe, when you’re standing in an animal shelter, choose your words carefully.

Because you’re not shopping for insults.

You’re looking for companionship.

A friend.

A dog.

Preferably one that doesn’t judge your vocabulary.

And apparently…

for the record…

Was talking about the dog.

— JIG3125