I Can Be Anything I Want to Be

Jake and Booker-T walked through the gate at Midge's house. She was sitting on the porch looking at her feet.

“What's wrong with your feet?” asked Jake as he sat down with Midge on the porch.

“Can you stand on your toes?” asked Midge.

“I don't think so,” said Jake. “I never tried to stand on them. I think that would be hard to do.”

“You are right Jake. That is too hard to do,” said Booker-T.

“Why do you want to stand on your toes?” asked Jake.

“I want to be a famous ballerina,” said Midge. “And dance on my toes like they do.”

“You can't be a ballerina,” said Jake. “You are a dog.”

“I can be anything I want to be,” smiled Midge. “The man on TV said I could.”

“What man told you that?” asked Booker-T.

“He said to join the army and you can be whatever you want to be,” said Midge.

“Do you want to be in the army?” asked Jake.

“Oh no,” said Midge. “I just want to be a ballerina.”

“What does being a ballerina have to do with the army?” asked Jake.

“Nothing,” said Midge. “But he said I could be what I want to be.”

“I don't think he was talking to you,” said Booker-T.

“He was talking to the humans who want to join the army,” said Jake.

“Does a ballerina have to dance on her toes?” asked Midge.

“I don't know,” said Jake. “Why do you want to be a ballerina?”

“They have those frilly little skirts,” said Midge. “I want one.”

“You don't have to be a ballerina to wear one,” said Booker-T. “Maybe your owner will get you one.”

“How do I ask her for one?” asked Midge.

“Show her a picture in a magazine like you did before,” said Jake. “And didn't you want to be a ballerina another time?”

“I don't remember,” said Midge.

“Why don't you find something you can be as a dog/” asked Booker-T.

“I like doing human things,” said Midge. “I would be a good human.”

“You could be a good small guard dog,” suggested Jake. “Don't you guard the house for your owner?”

“I bark pretty loud when someone strange is at the door,” said Midge. “My owner said I was a good watch dog.”

“What is a watch dog?” asked Booker-T. “Is it the same as a guard dog?”

“I think so,” said Midge. “Jake is a good guard dog. He's big and he can scare someone.”

“You can be a famous dog show winner,” suggested Booker-T.

“I would be really good doing that,” said Midge. “And I can do tricks too.”

“What kind of tricks can you do?” asked Jake.

“I can fetch a ball,” said Midge. “I can walk on my hind legs, climb a ladder, roll over, sit up, shake hands. I would be a good trick dog.”

“And you can do a lot more things the humans don't know how to do,” said Jake. "And you can do some things that the humans do too."

“Like What?” asked Midge.

“Did you forget?” asked Booker-T.

“You can ride a skateboard, go town hill on a sled and a trash can lid,” said Jake. “You can do the hula hoop.”

“No,” said Midge. “That was you and Booker-T just running around me when I stood on my hind legs shaking my hips.”

“But you tried Midge,” aid Booker-T. “You just aren't built right to do a hula hoop. It's a human thing.”

“You are smart Midge,” said Jake. “You can be a lot of things and do a lot of things. But human things are difficult for dogs to do.”

“That's right,” said Midge. “I can be anything I want to be and I want to be a ballerina.”

“Okay Midge,” said Jake. “Whatever you want to be is okay with us. Just always remember, we like you just the way you are.”