Massaging Defeat into Triumph

Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me, NPR’s oddly informative news quiz show had a quiz question dealing with a $70,000 dog vacation at Paw Seasons that includes a “massage”. Two of the panelists, Jessi Klein and Alonzo Bodden put themselves in the place of the person giving the dog massage. Here’s the slightly massaged transcript.

JESSI KLEIN: I always just think about the person who has to massage a dog and just - I think about them just seeing their whole life right in front of them the whole time. It’s like, how am I massaging a dog? Like, I’m the one who has to - like the dog is getting the massage. I’m massaging the dog. The dog’s on vacation. I’m working. I am massaging a dog.

  

ALONZO BODDEN: I’ve always thought that that’s like the greatest con in the world that you sold - somebody’s paying you to massage a dog. Like people pet dogs all day long. But I’m not - no, I’m not petting your dog, I’m massaging your dog. And that’s going to cost you $500 an hour.

  

KLEIN: So you think they’re happy?

 

BODDEN: They’re happy because you only sell that service to a rich person. Nobody’s saving up money to get the dog massaged.

Audio Clip

Which outlook do you take with your work? Do you focus on the work you have to do or the reward you are getting?

  

Our family has a stock response to the whine tinged question, “Do I HAVE to?” It is always: “You don’t HAVE to, you GET to!” followed with a explanation of why it was a joy and privilege to do the chore, go on an outing, do school homework, attend church, or just be together with family.

  

I know this response cut down on the whining in the children’s younger years but I didn’t know it stuck. My daughter, now corrects her 6th grade questioners the same way she was. 

  

I hope you get to help others massage defeat into triumph, see the rewards in the work and privilege when others only see responsibility.