The Lost Men’s Ring - No Laughing Matter

Laughter. The medicine of the ages. Show me someone who knows how to laugh - particularly at themselves - and I’ll show you a healthy, vibrant personality. Free from life’s problems? No. Smooth sailing through the vicissitudes and ocean of trials we all face? No. But nonetheless, someone who sees the joy in laughter, the spontaneity in a smile, the light side of a dark problem, the mirth in a merciless world … these lucky souls somehow have an advantage over those of us who grump away our existence!

Not long ago I was in a store shopping for a gift for my boyfriend - looking for a men’s ring. Not the engagement type, just something that says, "I think of you often and like to be with you … when you wear this, think of me as well." We have been together long enough for me to know this was a safe gift, not something that would freak him out. Well, I’m browsing, looking at some really beautiful rings and all of a sudden a dog meanders into this gorgeous, fashionable store and pees on the pedestal holding a beautiful display of tungsten rings. No one saw this but me (or so I thought).

This dog, I’ll call him Sparky, comes up to me wanting me to pat him on the head and I comply. I have always had such a love for these mangy creatures; have been in love with them ever since I can remember. Not that I was condoning his bad behavior but I thought he needed a break, after all dogs don’t do etiquette. I felt fortunate that he wasn’t sniffing me … well anyway.

As I said, I thought I was the only one who had witnessed his bad behavior, but oh was I wrong. A most snooty gentleman (I use this later term very loosely) marched over to me and in a most disgusting tone asked me what I thought we should do about the urine "my" dog had deposited on his display! I said, "excuse me?" And he repeated his question although this time he managed to add a most sarcastic and humiliating, escalating, aggressive tone – loud enough for all of the store shoppers and employees to hear. Dead silence. No one said a word – all conversations halted in mid sentence.

I burst out laughing. This was not well received by, shall we call him, "poopy pants" or just PP for short. Which, come to think of it he was rather short - which only added to my sense of humor in that I was a good 4 inches taller than he was and as I looked down at him, he adjusted his glasses up on the bridge of his nose and peered at me with the most annoying grimace. He had caught me red handed - or so he thought. Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t call him poopy pants to his face, this term was just floating around in my head while I was looking at him ...

"Do you think that is my dog … and then I added for the benefit of the bystanders … the one who just peed on your pretty little men’s ring display?" He said, "who else could it belong to?" He continued, "he came straight to you after his dirty little deed and started licking your hand!" before I could even respond, a man entered the store and called out, "Wasatch … where have you been?" and started apologizing for his being inside the beautiful jewelry store.

Needless to say I bought a fashionable men’s ring at an online site called mensringstore.com. Cheaper than the fancy store and the shopping experience was far less stressful. But I have to admit, it did not provide the memory I had earlier that day … laughter heals so many potential wounds … don’t you think? Just ask my friends, they are STILL laughing at my experience!