By Tyler PerryI found out something about myself recently...Back in November when I got Aldo, my two-year old German Shepherd, I looked at him and he looked at me and I think we were both thinking, "What do we do now?"
I had major anxiety about taking care of a living creature for the rest of its life. The responsibility was overwhelming to me. I was like, "There is no way! I work 16 to 18 hours a day.
I'm just the kind of guy that is focused. I love what I do, and with 2 TV shows and
doing 4 movies this year I don't have time to think, let alone take care of a living creature.
That's why I'm single and have no kids. I know me, I don't want to stop what I'm doing when I'm on a roll for anything. Okay so that's a snap shot of my life.
So something comes over me one day, and I got a dog. So Aldo (that's his name...he was already named, I didn't name him,..LOL) comes and it was really strange. I know this sounds crazy but I had night sweats because I was responsible for this living thing. The anxiety was so bad I thought that I should give him to someone who had the time for a dog. So, for the first month one of the guys who works for me helped me a great deal with Aldo.
When I would go out of town he and his wife, who have two dogs of their own, would take him to their house. He would have so much fun with those dogs and I would come home and he would be back in the house with me. He'd be looking at me like, "Who are you?"
One Saturday morning the staff was off so it was just me and Aldo and I had worked late the night before. Now I'm usually up by 5:30am in themorning for my work out and have him fed and walked by 7am, but I decided to sleep in. At 7am I heard knocking at my bedroom door. I sat up in the bed knowing that I live alone. The security alarm was set and no one could be in the house. I heard it again! I got up. It was Aldo knocking on my door. I sat there shocked! This dog was knocking at my door!
He was sitting there wagging his tail looking at me like, "WHATS UP?" So, as I
went towards the bed to get my slippers to take him out, this dog, who never gets on the furniture, jumps in my bed in the spot that I was sleeping as if to say, "You're not getting back in this bed!" I was laughing so hard. I took him out, walked him and played with him. From that day on he's been my best buddy.
He has really changed my life. Even though I have help, I find myself not working long hours so that I can rush home to walk him and feed him. It's so crazy! Who knew that me, Mr. Commitment Phob, could feel like this about any living creature?
Maybe Aldo is God's way of preparing me to be a father. Who knows? When I come down the stairs in the morning he's there at the bottom of the stairs. He jumps up to hug me. It the craziest thing!
I've been dealing with a lot with my mother's illness lately, so I've had a few rough days. Aldo would come put his head on my lap and look up at me, as if to say, "It's going to be okay." I'm telling you this dog is so great. He really changed my life. Because I have to take care of him it makes me take better care of myself.
All of that to say, I didn't know that a dog could change my life. I have officially become a dog lover. I went to the humane society yesterday. I wanted to adopt a dog for him to have a companion to run and play with. I came home with three puppies, Peter, Paul and Mary (LOL). This time I may have gone a little to far (SMILE). Wish me luck.