Dogs

this morning I went for a run in Prospect Park. As I entered the park I saw a big group of people in the front green. Frisbee this early in the morning, I thought. Excellent! Wait. No, dogs and their owners. Ah yes, the morning dog walk.

Dogs have the potential to be a great addition to a person's life. I grew up with dogs, and essentially took them for granted. Everyone in my neighborhood had a dog. We didn't even keep a tag on our dogs. They just stayed close to home and did whatever dogs do while we were away at work and school. Sometimes they begged for food, or jumped when a house guest first emerged from their car. Ultimately, our dogs weren't pets, they were part of the family. They traveled in the back of the truck with the kids, and they ate from their bowl while we at from the table.

What about a dog in my life now? I wonder how people make time and space for dogs in the city. They leave work early in the morning, and return late at night. Who watches the dog? And what about getting around with a dog? It seems that one would need to live near to a park because you can't take a dog on a train.

That all said, I guess that I will stick to watching dogs playing while I run through the park, and keep remembering the days of my childhood pet Brutus.