DATE: Saturday, October 11, 1997            TAG: 9710110049

SECTION: DAILY BREAK             PAGE: E9   EDITION: FINAL 

TYPE: Column 

SOURCE: Larry Maddry 

                                            LENGTH:   69 lines

DOGS HAVE SOME VALUABLE LESSONS FOR US

LESSONS FROM A DOG'S LIFE. My thanks to Paul Harral of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram for passing along the following list of ``Things We Can Learn From a Dog.'' The list was plucked from the Internet, author unknown.

Since reading the list I have gained even greater respect for Mabel, my cocker Spaniel, who frequently tilts her head the side with a quizzical or appraising look in her eyes.

``What a funny human you are,'' she seems to be saying.

Well, anyway, here's the list of things we can learn from our mutts:

1. Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joy ride.

2. Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure ecstasy.

3. When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.

4. When it's in your best interest, practice obedience.

5. Let others know when they've invaded your territory.

6. Take naps and stretch before rising.

7. Run, romp and play daily.

8. Eat with gusto and enthusiasm.

9. Be loyal.

10. Never pretend to be something you're not.

11. If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it.

12. When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by and nuzzle.

13. Thrive on attention and let people touch you.

14. Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.

15. On hot days, drink lots of water and lie under a shady tree.

16. When you're happy, dance around and wag your entire body.

17. Delight in the simple joy of a long walk.

18. No matter how often you're scolded, don't buy into the guilt thing and pout. Run right back and make friends.

I'll bet you can think of a couple of other things we can learn from our dogs. You can e-mail me at larrymad(AT)pilot.infinet.com. Lemme hear.

Photo with a saint? Whether the Catholic Church canonizes Mother Teresa or not, Gail Taylor, an assistant professor of education at Old Dominion University, believes she was in the presence of a saint.

Taylor met the 87-year-old nun - who embodied the spirit of charity for millions - in July while visiting Calcutta.

She was one of 15 professors from across the United States taking part in the Fulbright-Hays Seminars Abroad program, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education.

While in Calcutta, the college professors visited the mission of the Nuns of the Congregation of the Missionaries of Charity, founded by Mother Teresa.

``There were 200 nuns there, tending the sick, pumping water from a well, sweeping,'' Taylor recalled.

``Mother Teresa lived upstairs in a hospital building where there were rows and rows of cots filled with sick people,'' Taylor said.

``She greeted us from a wheelchair, looking very frail, her feet bare,'' she recalled. ``She was like a mother hen caring for her brood, giving each of us gifts. Religious medals and cards. And signing copies of books she had written for us.

``She was so sweet. And so small. I gave her a photo of James, my eight-month-old son, to sign. She wrote `God bless you' on the back of the photo.''

Although they only saw each other for about half an hour, Taylor said she felt she had lost a friend when she read of the Nobel Prize winner's death.

``When I saw how physically small she was, I was even more impressed by the great things she had done,'' Taylor said. ILLUSTRATION: Photo courtesy of Gail Taylor

ODU Professor Gail Taylor...

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