There weren't many people at the gym today. I don't talk to people at the gym, but there are many familiar faces. Apparently, I'm not the only one who has a routine they repeat over and over again. I notice when people disappear. When a younger person leaves the gym I tend to think they've gone on to bigger and better things. Maybe they got married or got a new job. When an older person leaves the gym, I wonder if they died. There was an old man who used to workout next to me. He always wore a t-shirt that said "I wish I were 80 again." When he quit coming, I didn't even have to ask. I knew he had passed away.
Life is fleeting. Almost everybody who lived on our street when we first moved here is gone now. Janet and I are the old folks in the neighborhood now. Most of the dogs I feature as my "Dalmatian of the Day" have passed away. The pictures remind me that dogs don't live nearly long enough. Sadly, I've gotten to know many of these dogs a lot better than the people who pass through my life. I don't keep up with people very well. I have a feeling I may regret this someday.
I doubt that I'll become more gregarious in my remaining years, but I certainly hope that I put the next ten years to better use than I did with the last ten years. Whenever someone who has led a rich and full life like Barbara Bush passes away, I wonder what I've done with my own life. I've had some amazing experiences, but it certainly hasn't been a purpose driven life. I'd tend to call it an accidental life.
There's nothing wrong with an accidental life. Sometimes it's better not to have a plan. I never planned to live in Dallas or have a career in advertising, but here I am. It didn't turn out so bad. I'm certainly glad that my life intersected with dogs at some point. Dogs have been a blessing.
Taking Dash on long walks every morning has made me more aware of the world around me. I know that names of native plants and animals now. I'm more aware of the weather and I'm probably in better shape than I would have been otherwise. I hate seeing Dash slow down on these walks because it reminds me that life is fleeting.
My Luddite sister has quit writing. I wonder what that means? Dash quits eating occasionally. I wonder what that means? There was a segment on Sixty Minutes tonight about Alzheimer's that was somewhat frightening. I had an uncle with Alzheimer's. My Mom used to think that my Dad had Alzheimer's, but he was really just turning off his hearing aid. He remembered; he just quit listening. Memories, even accidental memories, are important. That's why I keep writing. Each day leaves a new memory that gradually forms a trail of breadcrumbs for me to find later.
Mindy is today's Dalmatian of the Day |
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