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My Inner Animal

"What is your inner animal?"


 That is what the article in Dagbladet (a Norwegian newspaper) asked.  As I was a little curious about that myself, I took the test, and the answer came back:  

 "Yey! Du ble en kul, søt og snill ulv!"

 I am a cool, sweet, well-behaved wolf!  

 I was pleased.  I fully expected it to discover that I was an old turkey, or maybe just an old dog.  That's what Clark Mallam used to say when we met:  "Conrad, you old dawg, you!" And that, I remind you, was a long time ago.  Per calls me, "Gamle Ørn":  old eagle.  The eagle part is an honorific, to be ignored.  The emphasis, almost everywhere, is on the "old" part:  old turkey, old dawg, old eagle.  But I know better, now.  I am an endangered specie. The danger has quite a lot to do with the old part.

 Were the truth to be told--And why should it be?--I am a domesticated wolf; otherwise known as a dog.  Clark was right.  

 I hate these moments of self-awareness.  

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