This is Deputy Digby Pancake. If you did not have your foot taped up, wrapped up and covered up this weekend, well, then, I can only assume that your weekend was probably better than mine was. Or maybe not…if you know me! They say if it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it probably is a duck. And many assumed as they watched me walking happily thru the campground this weekend that I must be sad because I had a duck tape foot. Yes, I know it is called duct tape. But that is no fun. In fact, feeling sorry for yourself is no fun either. So I don’t.
Persons are always assuming things. Like, they think that all ducks quack. Girl Person said that really, there is only one type of duck that usually quacks. She tried being all fancy and explaining it to me like she talks to Brickle. She said that female mallard ducks make the classic “quack” sound while males make a similar but raspier sound that is sometimes heard as “breeeeze”. Ok. What. She kept talking and said that despite widespread misconceptions, most species of duck do not “quack”. In general, ducks make a wide range of calls, ranging from whistles, cooing, yodels and grunts. All I really heard was blah, blah, blah. I don’t have the time with a duck tape foot to learn how to identify ducks.
But if you want to, you are welcome to start learning. You can always learn something new..even about a duck.
Listen. No, not to the quacking. But to me. I think I deserve a bit of respect with a duck tape foot. This duck tape stuff might be a little uncomfortable. This duck tape foot may look a little odd. But if it is doing its job, why should I be sad about it? Because I look different with it? Not everyone who is different feels bad about it. And when we start feeling bad for them for no reason, who does that hurt? I certainly don’t need to hurt anymore.
Things that make us different sometimes we didn’t ask for them. Sometimes, the different parts of us are temporarily like a duck tape foot. Sometimes, we have to learn to live with them for all our days. Sometimes, we turn that different thing into something to sing about. You can either cry with a duck tape foot or prance with your duct tape foot.
No one can make us feel bad about ourselves unless we let them. I know that today, my new shoes are supposed to come in the mail. If they fit, well, I might not have to wear the duck tape. But I am sure someone else will feel bad that I have to wear shoes. And well, isn’t it all about perspective? Even I have it, laying in the sunshiney with a duck tape foot. I can even see it down there.
What I have come to realize is that when you are happy, you make others happy.
When you embrace your day and the good things in it, it gets passed on to others. If you feel bad, if you feel sad, if you feel sorry for yourself, you lose that light in your heart. And you can’t do that. You have to shine even in the rain. You have to prance even with a duck tape foot. Because you know why? Someone with a worse day than you may need your example, your encouragement, your light. They may need to smile at a duck tape foot.
So if you are going thru something, or if you are different, and others expect you to feel bad about it, you don’t have to. Imagine if all ducks that did not quack felt bad about it when most of them weren’t mean to quack in the first place! Maybe what makes you different is what makes you YOU. Just because it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, it might not be a duck. It may be a duck tape foot. They say that duck tape, or duct tape can fix anything. Can it make pancakes? My hungry belly needs fixed.
Oh, and did you miss the first episode of “Ask Brickle” on our Facebook page this weekend? Let me fix that now…
-Deputy Digby Pancake
So glad your new shoes are on the way, I hope they fit and that you don’t mind wearing them. You are you with or without the duct tape, but the shoes might protect you from more cuts on your paws.
Shoes are working great