This is Deputy Digby Pancake. Have you ever wanted to take a ride to an island? So you could be all alone? Maybe soak up some sun. Maybe fry up some coconut pancakes on the beach. Maybe just escape for awhile?
Yeah. We all feel like that sometimes. But all you need to do is take a normal walk with me and Brickle. You’ll feel like you are an island. In the stream.
You see, every time we go for a walk, I have to stop and smell the smells. Then Brickle has to stop and smell the smells. We may smell the same thing. Or it could be different. However, we usually aren’t watching the other, and when we water what we are smelling, well…sometimes our heads get watered too. It’s a very strong stream.
As you can guess, the persons are never thrilled with this. They aren’t thrilled our heads are stained. They aren’t thrilled that we smell a little spicy. They aren’t thrilled that it is more than likely to occur a few more times on the walk. We may be our own dogs. Different in personality. Different likes and dislikes. We may be islands. But we are both in the stream.
Life is funny. Things that used to bother the persons and stress them out like the stream sure seem more comical now. We have mastered the art of synchronized peeing. Now we have to show the persons how to master going with the flow.
I promised you assignments for every day this week. Today’s assignment is to stop and think for a moment what your dog does that tries your patience. Are they an island too? Maybe they bark too much. Maybe they steal your pizzas. Maybe I just do that.
Whatever that quirky irritation is, your assignment is to stop and view it as how your dog sees it. Does your dog really care about that “no barking” rule someone made up? Does your dog care he tracked mud in the door when he was just walking outside? Is it your dog’s fault when your dog is being a dog?
You see, persons think the rules they impose on all living things are important. But what makes the things you want more important than another individual being who they are? That’s. Not. Fair.
If you were a dog, would you care about being an island in the stream? No. You would probably just brush it off. So today, your assignment is to view things like a dog. Lighten up. But try not to get wet.
–Deputy Digby Pancake
