Tasered

That is the way I felt , shocked, stunned, and dumbfounded. I walk 2 miles with my dog in the morning hours before sun up. We meet the same folks everyday and when you do, you form something of an attachment to them. There is the Irish Setter and her mistress. Who on first meeting a year ago told me that her dog was afraid of white dogs. My dog is a white Border Collie, who must say hello to every dog he sees. A Will Rogers dog, who never met a dog he did not like. Red was a little nervouse about meeting my guy, but his calm and friendly manner won her over. Now she runs to greet us all wagging tale and yips. Her mistress can't believe it.

We meet Buddy, an old timer, a minuture poodle, whose presence hasn't been seen in a while , so I worry about him and his master, who was suffering with arthritis even before the weather turned cruel.

There is Doug, who used to run cross country in college and looks like he could still run it today with his dog. There is the Rabbi and his friend who jog , there is Peter on his bike. There are a couple of joggers, including one athletic woman I said hello or good morning to for 6 months before she finally realized that I was harmless and returned the greeting. There is the pleasant lady with her earphones and a wave. There is pretty Wendy , who walks 3 times as fast as I do, and makes me wonder how she does it. There are flashlight folk, reflector vest folk, headlamp folk and there are the ninjas of the morning. We are a crew.

There was the young couple with their two dogs. And it is their situation that stunned me. I had not seen them for a month and I asked, and I was told they are divorcing and selling their house and moving. They just had a child six months ago, a beautiful child. I was left stunned.

It is just how my attachments form, I meet, greet, talk with and develop a sense of care and hope for people and when they are distressed I feel for them. I hope everything works out, I will miss them on the walk.