Kicking Puppies

Sometimes you come across a moment in life that is so poignant and so impactful that you must blog about it… even if you haven’t really blogged with any seriousness in over six months.

A girl that is very near and dear to my heart recently began dating someone for the first time in a long time. She is usually very cautious and very deliberate when it comes to matters of the heart. But this time is different. This time she’s letting her guard down and getting her hopes up, and she’s not taking her time. It's been a very big source of contention between us... and that’s what I was thinking about as I saw the “Italian Couple” in the lobby of the Capitol South metro station.

They were both in their early to mid-twenties. They were both strikingly good looking with dark hair and dark features. If you were casting a role of an Italian couple for a movie, you would pick them. But this wasn’t a movie. They were real and they were standing right in front of me as I waited in line to add money to my fare card.

They were speaking softly to each other in Italian as they embraced. It was the kind of embrace that can be immediately recognized as a sad goodbye. Neither of them wanted to let go, so they just stood there… holding each other.

As I stood there watching I couldn’t help but be overcome with the kind of sentimental, sappy feeling that makes you say, “awwww,” the way 10 year old girls do when they see a puppy or a kitten curled up in a blanket.

Finally, they shared one last kiss before parting ways. I kept watching though, waiting to see them do the inevitable stop, turn around, and go back for one more kiss. Sure enough, the girl only got about five or six steps away when she made her turn around… Her beloved boyfriend on the other hand was walking away quickly in the opposite direction. She waited for a moment to see if he would turn back but I knew he wouldn’t. His back was turned to her, but not to me. I could see that he was already texting someone… and he had a grin on his face… He couldn’t wait to get away!

It was like watching him kick the cute little puppy that made me say, “awwww,” only two minutes ago.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not judging the Italian guy… I’ve been that guy… Striking good looks and cool accent aside, I’ve been a puppy kicker. Most men are puppy kickers. It’s in out nature… and that’s the problem… I don’t want my friend to date a puppy kicker. But the chances are that’s exactly what she’s going to get.