The secret of attraction is to love yourself.
Deepak Chopra
Do We Have the Faith of Hawkeye?
I've never owned a dog, in part due to frequent moves and a road warrior/bachelor lifestyle. My folks finally gave in to my siblings' pressure and bought a dog after my dad retired from the military and I was in college. I never really thought about the fact that I didn't own a pet until my oldest niece asked me several years back. I think most of my (married) siblings are multi-dog homes.
In my last apartment complex, I can remember coming home late on night; the building lighting was lousy. It was pitch black. All of a sudden I felt something brush against my leg, but I couldn't see anything. As I approached the dimly lit building entrance, I saw it was the most beautiful black Labrador retriever, no owner in sight, walking by my side as if he (or she) had known me all his life. As I fumbled to unlock the apartment building door and open it, he quickly made his way past me into the foyer and looked up at me expectantly as if to say, "Well? Are you coming in or aren't you?" It was both hilarious and endearing; I had never seen this dog before in my life, and he was walking to my door as if he had done it a thousand times. He was as audacious as Barack Obama seriously believing he's entitled to reelection after the last 3 years (if Obama had an ounce of self-respect, he would withdraw his candidacy...) I had to trick him (the dog, not Obama) in order to get into my apartment without him.
I have only limited experience with dogs, so I haven't researched the topic of dogs brushing up against one, but I've seen some passing references via the Internet that it's a dog's way of saying hi to you or of petting their people, or indicating they are lonely and want companionship. My experience has been restricted to our now deceased family dog, a different, much smaller breed, and innumerable walks around the block. My most endearing memory with her was that I was lying down on my stomach in front of the TV; she came in and lay down perpendicular to me resting her head on top of my butt. (You can't make this stuff up; I'm not sure I could have trained her to do that. It was completely spontaneous; I guess she wanted to assert I was her human.)
It was seriously funny--the next 4 or 5 nights, and I returned home at different times, as soon as I got out my car, the black Labrador retriever mysteriously appeared out of nowhere and almost immediately made his way beside me, brushing the length of his sleek black body against my left leg. Never barking; very quiet, beautiful, happy to see me, accompanying me to the door. I was really beginning to covet some neighbor's dog (I assume). It's one thing to be loved by a dog you raised from a pup; this dog seemed to love me without so much as a doggy treat. I half-seriously thought of letting him in, and when he stopped showing up, I was a little disappointed. If I ever get a dog, not to diss my family dog, but I just loved that black Lab retriever; what a sweetheart!
Babies, small children and many pets like me instinctively; above that age, I'm more of an acquired taste (according to my best friend). Most people probably say they do well with babies and kids (probably not bachelors), but I remember one afternoon at the UH Catholic Newman Center playing with these 3 young siblings while their parents were talking to the priest or other staff. I really didn't think that much about it, until after Mass the next Sunday. I was out in the foyer of the chapel about to go upstairs for our normal after-church doughnuts and coffee social, when I swear to God I found myself surrounded by (at least) 25 to 30 kids, probably ranging from 3 to 7 years old, and right in front of me were the 3 siblings I had played with the other day; they were all looking up at me. I don't even know where all the kids came from--probably some childcare service during Mass. But I had never been surrounded by a sea of little kids before; it was a very odd experience. Was this some variation of "show and tell"? The siblings must have told them they had met this cool, goofy man whom knew how to play with kids.
(Well, also, for some odd reason, a lot of middle-aged or older women will consistently pick me (like one out of 3 trips), out of all other grocery shoppers for help reaching a certain item on a shelf or a carton of milk in the back. I'm average height at best so it's not that. I guess I must project a Howdy Doody persona.)
I really hadn't commented on the August 6 tragic loss of Navy SEAL's in the recent tragic helicopter crash in Afghanistan; for a synopsis of these fallen heroes, see here. I have an issue with NATO propping up a dysfunctional Afghan regime, but this is not the time and place to argue the politics of American intervention. What I do know is that 35-year-old Petty Officer Jon Tumilson represents the finest of this nation's young men. Holding a Master's degree from the University of Texas, I appreciate his picture with his beautiful Labrador retriever Hawkeye below. I don't know what, if any connection he has with UT; maybe he's just a fan. One of my brothers-in-law is a huge Notre Dame fan: he has flown to attend games although never attended school there. But if a big beautiful Labrador retriever could befriend an acquired-taste stranger like me, I totally believe Hawkeye's faithful mourning of his beloved owner: a worthy best friend to a worthy owner.
Thank you for your service and sacrifice, Petty Officer Tumilson: rest in peace.
 |
| Photos Courtesy of/All Rights Reserved By Cited Sources Appearing in the Daily Mail |
Musical Interlude: My Favorite Groups
Bread, "Guitar Man". One of my favorite Bread songs; it has a magnificent, distinctive arrangement that caught me the first time I heard it. This is one of those songs that reflects on the performer or musician, like Art Garfunkel's "All I Know", the Byrds' "Mr. Tambourine Man" or the Carpenters' "Superstar".
