This is Deputy Digby Pancake. There’s been a lot of “almosts” in my life. That time I almost stole a fish out of a pelican’s mouth.
That time I almost changed my middle name to Waffle. That time I almost missed my quota of rolling in something stinky every day. Almost. Almost. Almost.
Maybe you feel like you have a lot of those missed opportunities. Maybe you feel like our persons. That you just can’t seem to do what you need to do or hope for or expect from yourself.
The persons say it’s easy to get hopes up and when something doesn’t work out, to give up. Maybe they mean that time we almost decided to buy a house and then it fell thru. Maybe they mean that time we almost had a plan to get to that Italy place. Maybe they mean that time we thought we had our goals and paths all figured out. Maybe they don’t mean that. But maybe they do. And I see how they can get down. But also. I wonder…
Maybe they don’t remember that time this year when we thought Brickle had the C word. Or those two times I almost didn’t make it out of my illnesses. Or maybe they don’t remember that time we almost forgot how good we have it, being all together in a house on wheels.
I’m not sure what persons are thinking sometimes. Instead of seeing all the wonderful, beautiful parts of a life, they get down about missed opportunities they made up anyway. No one expects more out of you than you. Are you missing other opportunities by concentrating on ones in the past?
I know. I know. Life can be hard. You can have an RV on its last legs and be planning a trip you don’t know what will happen on, like us. Or, you can realize that we need this trip. That unforeseen occurrences can happen sitting still. Or you can take a chance and try. I choose that! I choose to go to some creeks and waterfalls and new smells. That’s what I choose. And there’s no almost about that.
Sure. Life is rough. You’ll get down. You will question if you can try again. When I was in the shelter and no one adopted me, I almost gave up too. When Girl Person came to meet me, I had given up hope when she didn’t take me home. And then Brickle came to meet me and our story started. I may have not been wanted or needed where I started. But I ended up where I needed to be. And you can too. You’re almost there. Don’t give up now.
–Deputy Digby Pancake
