Let’s start with some wonderful news.
I tuned in to the live stream of a big show back east and who do I see but Lori and Ruthie (Sparkler)! I watched while Ruthie was placed third in a lovely and big class of Open Bitches — well-handled by Lori. How awesome is that?! Congratulations Team Ruthie.
Littermate Kiri also had a good weekend at one of the same giant shows. In spite of being the only of the many lovely Special bitches sporting her summer coat, Kiri received an Award of Merit from Breeder-Judge Libby K. VERY cool. Kiri is, of course, owner-handled — and very well, I might add. Love the live streaming!
Congratulations are also due to Marti and her girl, Lili — Lili (an adopted member of the Kaibab family ;) completed the requirements for the BMDCA Versatility Excellent award! WOO HOO and big congratulations to Team Lili.
Okay —now onto Confirmation Bias: An Example.
I was giddy with excitement — the countertops were arriving!!!
They wheeled in the first slab.
“Is this the color you ordered?” he asked with a smile, clearly joking.
“No, actually it isn’t,” I said.
Awkward and incredulous silence ensued.
We both got on our phones — him to the Countertop Mothership and me to the Kitchen Designer.
In the end, the guys offered to just install the wrong ones so we have countertops until the new ones arrive, and told us how much they appreciated we were nice people and were not irate.
Check out the current mortuary-themed kitchen — or maybe Halloween?
I sigh a lot.
Sigh.
An important and related aside: It is okay if we say “at least…” to ourselves but never to others.
At least I have countertops now!
You may recall the giant tree episode — the one that missing falling on me and two dogs by a matter of minutes?
Apparently I have offended the Wood gods.
I was driving home from tracking yesterday and chatting on speaker with my Perfect Sister when suddenly there was a giant BOOM and the window right behind me exploded.
With Claire in the crate. Luckily, I had the mesh screen up and that prevented the glass from showering her.
It did not seem likely that someone shot my window with a cannon but it sure sounded that way.
I called 911 and a nice deputy showed up. He went up the road to investigate and at the point there was glass, he also found this…
It even had incriminating glass that matched my window embedded in it! Clearly the culprit.
Okay, how shall I interpret these three unfortunate experiences?
The experiences and events we have as we walk through the world are pressed through our mental filters and those things are either grabbed as evidence or discarded as irrelevant based on what we already tend to believe — about ourselves, about others, about the Universe, about God.
THAT is Confirmation Bias.
We can understand our Confirmation Bias(es) by paying attention to what emerges after an event/experience goes through those mental filters.
For example, I tend to quickly and easily see the benefits and positives when things do not go according to plan.
My windshield needed replacing anyway — this shattered window will get me to finally take care of it.
At least I have countertops now — the end is in sight!
What a blessing I was running late and not crushed by the tree.
My Mental Channels tend towards the Optimism Channel and Good Intentions Channel — not the “Poor Me” or “Life Sucks” Channels.
How and why can I do that after almost being crushed by a tree, having a piece of wood miss my driver’s side window by inches, and having yet another kitchen mess up/delay?
Because Mental Channels are a choice and in my mind, I control the remote.
