Everybody's Changing and I don't feel the same

I just got a call from a friend and her ringtone is the song "Everybody's Changing" by Keane. Not surprisingly, it really struck a chord with me. The most random and mundane things can really grab my attention sometimes. I started thinking about the past and how much I have changed. My husband and I recently acquired a small inside dog. For those of you that knew me when I was younger, this probably comes as a major shocker. I used to be terrified of big dogs and annoyed by little dogs. My mom tells a story of my loving uncle terrorizing me with a poodle when I was a toddler. She attributes the start of my fears from that episode. However, I vividly remember being chased around my grandparents backyard by a giant (man-eating beast from The Sandlot) dog when I was in elementary school. His owner claimed hot pink (the color of my favorite windbreaker) happened to be his dog's favorite chew toy color. I guess I was about the size of a chew toy at the time. I narrowly escaped/jumped/flew into my dad's arms when he came outside because I was screaming as I ran laps past every window. My annoyance of little dogs came from some family members who owned hyper inside dogs that jumped all over me and yapped and were just generally obnoxious. We also owned an idiot Dalmation mix for a while too. I had so many bad experiences with dogs that I just tried to avoid them. It translated into me not liking pet type animals at all since I think cats are creepy and ultimately Satan in fur form. My strong dislike for cats will never change, but my dog fear did with time. When I went to college, my parents experienced a strange form of empty nest syndrome and attempted to replace me with a medium-sized outside mutt. Ginger was the sweetest, most good- natured dog I ever met. When I was home, I would sit out on the porch and pet and play with Ginger. I could just feel the stress melting away. Ginger changed my outlook on canines. I had just happened to meet a poor sampling of her kind. It would be the equivalent of judging the entire human based on Joan Rivers and Hannibal Lecter Since moving up here, I've missed my relaxing dog-petting time. So Chris and I had been talking about "expanding our little family" with a small pet. It was perfect timing when my old college roomie needed to get rid of one of her dogs. Chipper is a poodle-bichon frise mix and he is perfect for us! He's playful and content to nap on the couch with me too. I'm so glad to have Chipper around. He really cuts down on the loneliness and need to blog on here....obviously since I've taken such a long hiatus. I am curious what Mom and Dad will replace my brother with. A Great Dane, possibly?