Today I met Pogi

It's one of those days when you tell yourself, zzzz... Let's just get this day over and done with. But when dad dropped me off at the usual spot in front of Makati Sports, I was in for a pleasant surprise.

There he was, standing, enjoying the cool air...I came near him tentatively. But I couldn't help myself so I just had to go near him. So I asked Ate, "Can I pet him?"

Ate:Oo, mabait yan.

So I sat down, patted his fluffy head and couldn't stop saying, "Hello...hello, ang cute cute mooooo!"

Cey: Ate, ano'ng pangalan nya?
Ate Nita (I asked for her name too :): Pogi.

Ganda.
He was all-black. All-hairy. Looked like a stocky bear with feet so short his tummy would touch the ground if he took on a few more pounds. Apparently he's a cross between a chowchow and some other breed (a lab, I guess) So imagine this: he had the head of a lab, but furrier, and the body of a chowchow! He looked like a live teddy bear! And he just stood there, wagged his tail as I went on patting his head saying "Hello, pogi! Helloo" with that irritating pitch my voice takes on when I see something/someone really cute.

Chris Abani said, "I will know my humanity only when it's reflected back to me." He was talking about ubuntu, I think.

This morning, for some strange reason, it felt like my humanity was reflected back to me, by a dog. Weird as it may sound, it felt nice. And I walked to the office with a slightly different gait.