Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder

My Facebook contest for the most captivating pug photo has led me to a more contemplative area of thinking than usual this past week. I have thoroughly indulged myself in viewing the pugs in these photos, some of whom are whimsical, some in costume, some enchantingly posed, and some just as themselves. I find myself thinking about the very concept of beauty and what it means. Shakespeare says it best, I believe…

“To me, fair friend, you never can be old
For as you were when first your eye I eyed,
Such seems your beauty still.”

Our standards of beauty vary dramatically from one viewer to the next, hence the old adage I adopted for my title today. My great grandmother was fond of this expression and also employed “Pretty is as pretty does” when chastising my grandma as a young self-absorbed girl. So then, what is beauty? Is there a universal standard? And why are there so many hundreds of thousands of pug owners who find their own pug children so appealingly beautiful?  Is beauty really only skin deep? I don’t think so. The longer I live the more I believe that, and I know you will all reel in shock when reading this, beauty does lie within the eye of the beholder. We see what we wish to see. Time and age cannot tarnish what one first perceives as beauty in another.

When I look upon my fellow pugs, dear reader, I see all of the flaws, blemishes, signs of age and decay, but I also see evidence of love, hope, devotion, spirit, and beauty. I cannot believe I am uttering these words (living with Lizzie has definitely weakened my mind and spirit), but there you have it…deep thoughts from a pug named Mason.

Thank you one and all for sharing your photos and captions. Again, not to sound maudlin and overly sentimental like a pug we know well, I am proud to count all of you as my fans.

Respectfully submitted,

Mason

Yours truly as a young pup...am I less handsome now? I think not.

You Oughta Be In Pictures, or My Own Fanzine

If you haven’t yet had the opportunity to visit the Mason and Lizzie fan page on Facebook, dear reader, then I suggest you do so at your earliest convenience. Being the clever sort of pug that I am (as well as a pug suffering from the winter doldrums) I conceived of a small contest for my loyal fans. They need only submit a photo of themselves, either in costume or not, to my fan photo site. The pug receiving the most positive comments wins a pawtographed copy of our book, SUMMER PUGS. I invite all readers to at least look at these remarkable photos and make a comment. I have dreams of turning this album into a book because these fellow pugs have a lot of game. I think we’ll keep this going until the end of February and then announce a winner on March 1^st. I urge you, one and all, to visit our page and take a look. It is the best free entertainment available right now.

Of course Lizzie is absolutely no help whatsoever in this venture. She just chirps in her sickeningly perky voice, “I could never choose, Mason. They are all so adorable…each and every one of them a winner!” Can you believe her? Just when I thought it was not possible that she could be any more insipid than she already is, she astonishes me. The other thing about Lizzie that really pushes my tolerance buttons, is her falseness. She pretends to care for me, worrying about my health and welfare, and she clings to me as if her very life depended on having close contact with yours truly. Lies, all lies. She is a self-serving, deceptive little wench. I’ve watched her behavior with clear and analytical eyes. She is calculating and manipulative, always carving out a place in the spotlight for herself. Oh dear, I’ve digressed. This topic is so close to my heart that I lose my focus. Forgive me, dear reader, for letting this insignificant little pug disturb my lofty thoughts.

Please stop by my fan page, look at the photos, and lose yourselves in pug rotogravure. I apologize for my Lizzie rant. It was a moment of weakness.

Respectfully submitted,

Mason

No photo today, but go to: http://www.facebook.com and search for: Mason and Lizzie.