ABSTRACT
I was 5 years old when I first started campaigning for a dog from my parents. Over a decade-long crusade, I applied every ounce of my creativity. I tried: fact-based arguments (many people think Polaris, the North Star, is the brightest star in the sky; but did you know it is really Sirius, the dog star?); a marketing campaign (photos of golden retrievers, everywhere—behind the ketchup, on the mirror, in their shoes . . .); the “door in the face” technique (I can’t have a pony? How about just a dog?); tantrums (ineffective); demonstrations of responsibility (volunteering for our local SPCA, walking the neighbor’s dog); and many, many other bids over the years.
