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.

The Week in Review, or Never A Dull Moment for Mason

I must combine topics today since my week has been so filled with adventure and I don’t wish to sacrifice one for the telling of the other. It interests me that weeks can go by with little to next to nothing happening and then suddenly one is caught up in a whirlwind of happenings.

On Saturday night we went to Grandma and Grandpa’s friends, who own Chloe (my “affaire de Coeur”), for dinner. Nothing unusual transpired until after dinner. I noticed my darling slipping quietly into her bedroom on, what I assumed was, an errand; however, she did not return to the living room. Thinking she should be checked, I, too, slipped into her bedchamber where I found her lying languidly on her dog bed. I have no idea what possessed me or what impulse sent me in that direction, but I found myself settling in beside her. Someone must have noticed our absence because the next thing I knew, a camera was being clicked, accompanied by a blinding flash of light. Before the paparazzi run wild with this photo and story, I wish you, dear reader, to understand the innocence of this moment. Enough said.

Yesterday, Grandpa had to forego our daily hike around Eagle Pond and so it was just Grandma who took us. This outing is truly the most eagerly anticipated event of our day, but without Grandpa it is not the same. I tried to put on a good face but honestly my heart wasn’t in it. Of course that single-cell excuse of a pug, Lizzie, has no such sensitivity and happily she will trot off with any human who assumes the position of pack leader. But, as you all know, she is a fool and a twit. That aside, I had to literally drag myself along on the trails until Grandma chose a path we’d never explored before. I suddenly became aware of new scenery and scents, and my basic canine curiosity overcame my earlier reluctance. Off we went into the gloaming, stimulated and fearless. Grandma then began muttering out loud that she had no idea where we were and then she picked up the pace. We moved briskly further into uncharted territory. There was not a sound or sight of another human or beast. The further we went, the darker the sky became. I knew Grandma was concerned but I soldiered on, since I had to be the alpha male (read, only male). Finally we came upon a path leading us back into the forest in the direction of the lake. We followed it and eventually came around to our entry/exit point. Neither my energy nor spirits flagged during this Robinson Crusoe-like trek but I was mightily glad to reach home and tuck into a hearty repast!

Respectfully submitted,

Mason

My darling Chloe and I...you can see the innocence of our bed sharing. The media will twist this into something unnatural and sordid.

The thrill of smelling a new tree!

I’m Just A Pug Who Can’t Say No, or Vanity, Thy Name is Mason

In my last entry I touched briefly upon a quality or trait of mine about which I am not too proud…and that is vanity. Apologies yet again to Shakespeare for my bastardization of his famous line, but it is fitting, I fear. I am convinced, however, that I am not the only pug to fall victim to this affliction, nor will I be the last.

 Case in point: when Grandma visited me in the fall and we were out on a walk, in freezing weather, with me cranky, whining, and anxious to get inside and consume treats she had brought, a group of young schoolchildren on a field trip caught sight of me and Lizzie. They began squealing, oohing and aahing, and begging for photos of us. Lizzie, being the introverted, camera shy, fearful little pug that she is, wedged herself between and behind Grandma’s legs in a vain attempt at invisibility. I, however, heard the battle cry, the words that always send me spinning around and striking a pose, “May we take a picture of your pugs?” Gone was the cold, the sulking, the quest for treats, and in place was a pug that would have put Madonna to shame with the number of poses struck in the space of two minutes. One inept little one struggled to get her camera working, while I, patient and undaunted froze in a charming position until the shutter clicked. Yes, I know, dear reader, you are thinking to yourself that this pug should be a model or an actor, and of course I could have been. My instincts are purely professional.

 What, then, motivates my behavior? It is simple…I want to please people, to make them smile, to make them love me. Okay, it makes me feel really good too. Is that so bad? I don’t think so. It seems a win-win situation for everyone. Fortunately for me, Lizzard has no interest in that kind of attention or adulation.

 There you have it…another piece of the Mason puzzle.

 Respectfully submitted,

 Mason

 

Look at me! Super Star!