Did you know that this phrase has nothing to do with the four-legged variety? The idiom, Every Dog Has It’s Day, makes reference to a dog but has nothing to do with a dog! Has the world gone mad? Ivy is going to be ticked. All this time, she thought it meant that if she is obedient and faithful, she will have unrestricted access to the 72 bottomless containers of ice-cream now locked in the freezer.

Good morning, it’s early. How early is it? Last call hasn’t yet been called, which means that our local Uber Driver is still sawing logs. No, he isn’t a lumberjack.

The Story

Back to that meaning hidden in the message, if it’s not about dogs, what could it possibly be? Maybe this story will better help us understand. Like all time-tested fables, it begins…

Once upon a time, there was restless accountant, one so gifted in parsing fact from fiction, and to discern the left from the right, that he found himself a heartbeat away from the undesirable position, sought by so many others, of becoming Czar of the long forgotten land of Profits Don’t Matter.

He locks his sights on a different prize, one that will lead to greener pastures. Forever the opportunist and the strategist he resists the temptation to be drawn in by the lure of power, leaving those with weak minds to think of him as a fool living in his own universe.

He plays to his greatest strengths, the ability to thrive in chaos and find comfort in ambiguity. With no clear direction, his instincts point him to a land flowing with milk and honey. He finds the road to success blocked tighter than the arteries of an obese fry cook, and he encounters a landscape littered with the remains of those that asked for permission and directions. He stays true to his uncanny ability to connect enough dots to chart his own course.

When given the option to take the path most traveled or the one that will lead to places unknown and experiences unforeseen, he chooses the latter. He goes rogue. Quickly, his natural talents and intuition open doors and create opportunities. Soon others notice and give him their two cents. Some are envious while others are jealous. But the change that occurs in his demeanor is immediate.

Now with the threat of unbridled power behind him, and free from the tentacles of absolute dominion, all his efforts pay off. Suddenly, the switch is thrown and the lights shine brightly, he finally understands.

“Sooner or later everyone gets a chance to realize success; everyone gets to enjoy the fruits of their labor. Sooner or later, every dog has its day.”

~The End.

On the door to his office now hangs a sign, on it these words:

The Rest of the Story

Sure, I could have just given you the meaning, but what fun would that be. Don’t leave yet. I haven’t gotten to the best part, the life lesson that accompanies every good fable. As the broadcast legend Paul Harvey would say, “Now for the rest of the story.”

Have you had your day? Or are you still on the couch, waiting for someone to knock on your door, take your hand, walk you down a primrose path to a place of prominence and glory. Sorry to burst your bubble, your envisioned reality isn’t real. The journey to your future will more closely resemble a hike through a landfill than a carriage ride through Utopia! Your dream of dancing though life untouched wearing clean white air-Jordans, is just that, a fantasy. You might want to stop at the local farm supply store and get a pair of waders, you will need them. Better yet, get two pair.

But do not be discouraged. When you do have your day, and you will, it will be yours to cherish, yours to enjoy and yours to share — with your dog of course. Unless you’re a cat person, then all bets are off.

Thanks for reading, liking and sharing,

Ivy is very confused right now. In fact, she asked me to find her a therapist. She thought that every day was her day. Millennials!

Al Van Dyk and his faithful, albeit delusional sidekick, Ivy the wonder pup.