This is my buddy Oakley out on a walk w me today. I’ve talked about him a bunch on as he’s been by my side all of the past 4 yrs. I picked him up just before the 2.5 yrs I laid in bed & didn’t move…& the last yr & a half since we’ve been building this Movement, he’s been w me.
As I learned practices to release & require the trauma & stress in my body, I made sure to build daily walks, w Oakley, into my routine.
No matter how I’m feeling…no matter what the weather…our walks together give me some much needed “medicine.” Fresh air. Sun (time of yr depending). Cardio. And a time to put my phone away & do anything my mind wanders into- reflection, deep thoughtful, observing nature, appreciating small things, etc.
As is often case, when deep thought takes over me, I analyze – way more than than I’d like.
On this particular walk this holiday wknd, the following thought came into my head: “I take Oakley on approximately the same length walk, in the same loop of blocks, every time I take him out. When I start off I bring two – ‘doodie bags’ w me, as I know Oakley’s gotta take care of his business, usually once, sometimes 2x.”
And the interesting this is – dogs w their noses & all, Oakley seems to go, like clockwork, in the same spot on our walk every time. I can almost set my watch on it.
I then thought to what my favorite parts of these walks are…& it’s no doubt AFTER Oakley has done his business, I can get it, & toss it away, & am free to then walk w/o worrying when he’s gonna go next. Before you judge me (I’d love to hear from you if you enjoy cleaning up after your pup’s stuff 😂…not the best part of being a pet owner).
But why? Why do I enjoy the carefree part of the walk, after Oakley’s done, & the evidence is discarded, more than the 1st half of the walk. Asking myself that question, the following thought came my mind, & I’d be lying if I said it didn’t make me giggle a little. That thought was: “Shit Happens.”
It’s true! On these walk shit is gonna happen – just like it’s going to in life. And just like life, shit may happen more than once. But actually, as opposed to life where you never know when shit’s gonna happen, on these walks, there’s a decent chance I know when it’s coming. If I know that it’s coming, & likely WHEN it’s gonna happen, why should I enjoy the 2nd carefree part of my walk any more than the 1st half? It’s just part of the process. I’m wasting the 1st half, by waiting for it to happen & pass, when I should just take shit as it comes, & enjoy the entire journey.
Could be cliche, but when it comes to life, if we know shit’s gonna happen, let’s not wait for it. Let’s take it as it comes & not live in fear, just waiting for that shoe to drop. It’s part of the human experience we ALL face.
