In June, I got rid of The Last Dog I’ll Ever Own after ten long years of a rather unhealthy, mismatched relationship. Don’t worry… Bingley is alive and well. We retired from each other and he is now living happily ever after in South Carolina. With an entire continent now between us, we’re both finally at peace… but that is a whole ‘nother story…
So, because I walk a lot for exercise, and because I like to walk at the beach, I signed on with a dog-walking business kind of like Uber. My app alerts me to nearby available walks, and if one looks appealing, I click to request it. If I'm accepted, I go walk the dog and the owner pays me through the app. So basically, I’m getting paid to walk when I want and where I want. Sweet deal!
Anyway, this is Leo, a dog I’ve walked three or four times. He lives in the swanky part of Manhattan Beach. I try to snag a walk with him every time his name pops up. Together, we travel the Strand, a long well-kept walkway flanked by the ocean on one side and immense, gorgeous homes on the other.
Leo, a young lab mix, is hands down THE most enthusiastic, upbeat, happy fellow I’ve ever walked. His joie de vivre (aptly defined as an exultation of spirit), is absolutely infectious. When we pass other dogs, he bounds high into the air like a spirited Lipizzan stallion, full of playfulness and totally oblivious to whether the other dog wishes him well or ill. When he sees that we’re approaching a drinking fountain or water bowl left out by generous residents, he bounces joyfully skyward and leaps toward it, overjoyed with the opportunity to grab a cool drink. When he catches a whiff of some new scent in the air, he throws his nose heavenward and gulps down the aroma with eyes half-closed. Every so often, he "boops" my hand with a gentle open mouth, as if to say, "Did you see that?! Wasn't it amazing??" When he gets hot, his tongue lolls crazily out the side of his mouth like a cartoon dog. Today we had some rare rain. Leo leapt up and tried to catch fat raindrops on his tongue. As we walk, passersby almost unfailingly smile or laugh at his enthusiastic pursuit of JOY.
But see that wicked looking collar around his neck? It’s a prong collar, designed to replicate a quick corrective “bite”, like the bite a dominant dog gives to a subordinate. When used properly, it’s ideal for very big, strong dogs. It allows the handler to correct and control the dog without harming it.
So Leo, while enjoying life to the max on his hour-long walks, does so within the limits provided by this formidable-looking collar. A quick tug on the usually loose leash gets his attention or keeps him from dashing off toward another dog. Yet, his obsessively upbeat attitude never, ever flags. He leaps and cavorts and smiles and bounces, but all within the confines of the boundaries set by his collar.
There’s a huge lesson in this for me. A lesson about contentment and living a principled life with structure while not letting the boundaries curb my joy. Joy and contentment actually come from living life within the limits set for me by the Lover of my soul.
I want to be a lot more like Leo.
