Only man clogs his happiness with care, destroying what is with thoughts of what may be.
John Dryden
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Hello Bruce
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Yesterday afternoon one of my neighbors brought home a 5 week old poodle puppy. I watched from my door as the two of them tried to agree on what to do next. It was a classic case of the dog taking the man out for a walk.
He had the dog on a leash, trying to get it to go one way, with much concern about when and where the puppy was going to do his pooping. False hope. The puppy was having none of it.
He was very busy discovering that he was alive, that there was a world around him and that the world had to be investigated. The dog was fascinated with things we wouldn't bother with: a rusty chain link fence, a car tire, the trash. Pooping? We'll get to that later, but first what's over there?
It was wonderful to see such eager, focused, immediate life going on. There were no concerns about the future or about what may or may not be the right thing to do. Follow the nose and drag the old, boring adult along with you if you have to.
I had fleeting memories of when I was free to do the same as the puppy. There were golden moments on the stage when the rules were written by the playwright and by my understanding of the role. I was on that leash but the world, the universe, was wide open to me and I took charge, followed my imagination, my instinct, my creativity and sniffed out every crevice, every subtle scrap of the scene. I was never more alive than in those moments.
Wouldn't it be a grand thing if we could all take that instant, innocent interest in the life around us and not worry about things that aren't? I'm looking forward to seeing more of my new neighbor the positive, prodigious, poodle puppy.
DB - The Vagabond
Never give up.
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6 comments:
No idea who Bruce is but why do you keep saying hello to him to the exclusion of all others. Puppies are cute and innocent just like babies. They take great joy in investigating and discovering their world.........something that seems to elude us as we grow older.
"He was very busy discovering that he was alive..."
I love how you phrase that. Altho some things are perfected in darkness, I always feel most alive when shadows lift and curiosity recharges. Somewhere in their evolution Dogs got hit by a big genetic goofystick, so maybe it's easier for them.
This post made me really happy and feel alive! A friend of mine has a litter of six collie pups that are now four weeks old. I was watching them yesterday and, unless they are sleeping, they are never still. They are in constant movement. Always happy, yelping, biting, playing, exploring. I watch them with excitement like you do your new puppy friend. I look forward to hearing about the new puppy!!
Kids and animals, full of innocence and curiosity.
One of the greatest gifts my Dad gave me is an endless curiosity about the world around me...even the little, mundane things. I don't get bored. Ever.
Aww! Puppies make my heart melt. Indeed, they are very curious and always a pleasure to watch and see what unfolds in their world. Hope you get to witness many more adventures of your little furry friend.
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