This is Sheriff Peanut Butter Brickle.  First things first.  The persons.  Are.  Arrested.  And if I had the strength to go into it, I would.  But dealing with Girl Person’s Depression Monster, Guilt Monster and Anxiety Monster the past few days have taken all of the joy I have out of arresting.  Arrest reports and more arrest reports seem to be on my daily schedule, which leaves me no time for anything else….except apparently having to drive around two counties in a day looking for a house that doesn’t even seem to exist yet for us.

Come on the risin’ wind,
We’re goin’ up around the bend

Now.  Don’t get me wrong, because I am never wrong.  But I sense the reasons why the persons delayed our leaving departure date.  You see, after a million hours of discussions, they knew that if they left here, even leaving one stone unturned, that they would always wonder if they could have, or should have stayed.

You can ponder perpetual motion,
Fix your mind on a crystal day,
Always time for a good conversation,
There’s an ear for what you say

It is not that we are set against heading to that Florida place.  But the persons had to ask themselves…did we miss something?  I am sure I did not.  I never.  Ever.  Do.

Bring a song and a smile for the banjo
Better get while the gettin’s good
Hitch a ride to the end of the highway
Where the neon’s turn to wood

However, the persons felt that maybe they needed a few more days.  And in fact, I did too.  Seeing Girl Person so upset threw my stomach into knots, which has kept me up for two nights, and good grief.  I can never look bad, but if I am not at my best, what kind of day will it be on the road?

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So we delayed our leaving. There was no choice in the matter, although the persons even second guessed their second guessing their decision.  And seriously folks?  I think that they are giving me a headache.  And it is not because of the bad wine here.  Because there is no such thing.

As we were driving around, making sure we had visited every home and every area that was available for us, Girl Person realized something.  And since I was in the car this whole time, I had no choice but to listen.  She told Boy Person, after he was done putting himself down for not being able to buy a home a few years ago, that there was no reason to live in the past.  If we let our past mistakes into our present days, it is another mistake.    In fact, if we are blinded by our own monsters, how will we ever see what is ahead…maybe just up around the bend?

Can you imagine if we let every mistake or every regret that ever happened to us into our day?  Dogs never do that.  What if I thought about the reasons that I was taken to the shelter? Or what if I thought about being sad that someone mistreated my brother, Deputy Digby?  What if I worried about Girl Person all of the time and her monsters?  Well, I guess I do that.  But that is my job. Yet the other stuff?  It is not worth even thinking about for a second.  Bad things have happened to everyone.  Oftentimes, we don’t know that the Regret Monsters are living with us until we face decisions. And then the Regret Monsters remind you that you can fail, or that you can make a mistake. And they try to make you forget that you are human, and that in fact maybe those mistakes made you into a great person!  And they don’t want you to know that those past mistakes can in fact make you learn from them, and then make your future even better.  No, they don’t want you to know that.  But I am here to tell you.  You have nowhere to go but ahead.  Because looking behind?  It will get you nowhere.

There’s a place up ahead and I’m goin’
Just as fast as my feet can fly
Come away, come away if you’re goin’
Leave the sinkin’ ship behind

So what are we going to do from here on out?  For today, probably there will be more talking and looking and turning over more stones. Because if we leave tomorrow or Monday, what is the big deal? What difference does a few days make when it comes down to it?  I love a schedule, but even I can be flexible sometimes.  Spending over a year on the road has taught us many things.  But one of the most important is that in the big scheme of things?  You don’t ever really know what is up around the bend.  It could be good like a rare, hot shower.  It could be not so good like many of those prison showers we have found ourselves in with used, old soap.  But whatever it is, it is worth experiencing. Except for the soap. Every experience, every person, even every monster we have to kick out of this Big Blue Treat Wagon prepares us for what is up ahead.  And we are still thinking that it is going to be great.

Come on the risin’ wind,
We’re goin’ up around the bend
Yeah

-Sheriff Peanut Butter Brickle

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