Shaggy Dog Story

…So a couple of months ago, I was standing on Walton Street in Chicago’s Gold Coast.  I was waiting for a Via.

Transportation Sidebar: Do you know what “Via” is?   It’s a pretty neat- and reasonable- ride-sharing service that drops you corner-to-corner and is tons better than Uber Pool or Lyft Line.  It started in New York City and it’s also available in Chicago and Washington D.C. for now.

If you ever use these ride share services, I suggest you give it a try.

Oh- and please use my ride share code: ellen6p8

If you do, your first ride is free and I get $10 in ride credit!

…Anyhow, I was waiting on the street and as I stood there, my gaze happened to fall on a woman coming toward me.  She was walking a dog.

An extremely cute dog.

The woman herself was nondescript.  Older than me, kind of frumpy, mouse-brown hair.  But the dog was sensational.  Small, perky and strutting down the street with a jaunty “Look at me!” trot.

I watched them walk towards me all the way down the block and when they passed, I simply had to say something.

I just couldn’t help myself.

“What a cute dog!” I exclaimed with a smile.

“Thank you,” mumbled the owner begrudgingly.  And with eyes cast-down, she continued her way down the block.

Huh?

That was different.

Usually when you praise a dog-owner on the adorableness of their pet, they stop and let you wax enthusiastic.  They are only too delighted to show off their treasure and let you make a fuss.

But not this time.

This time, the woman clearly wanted no part of the compliment- or me.

Hmmmph, I thought.  Oh well.  It was a cute dog and I don’t care if she thought I was silly to say so.

But as the pair walked away, I couldn’t help watching them.

There was something so odd in her reaction that I was perplexed and…

Then it hit me!

OMG.

The woman was Cruella- my ex’s current spouse.

I hadn’t recognized her.

But she had clearly recognized me.

No wonder she didn’t want to hang around and let me pet her dog.

It was obvious that I had absolutely NO idea who she was.  I hadn’t seen her since my grandson’s Sam’s first birthday two and a half years ago and she had been a bleached blonde at that time.

I never uttered a SINGLE word to her back then- or ever.  She and I had some ugly personal divorce court history and I had cordially loathed the sight of her ever since. Long ago, I made myself a solemn vow that she would never hear the sound of my voice.

EVER.

And here I had just said to her- in all sincerity- “What a cute dog!”

I felt like such a jerk but you know what?

It WAS a cute dog.

Never say never, I guess.