I have always loved dogs and lately I have found a terrific way to feed my infatuation. My friend Lucy is a wonderful companion. Through her I have been introduced to the world of the dog park and, in turn hundreds upon hundreds of different dogs. The dog park is a place where I can meditate on these animals. You can bath in a concentration of adorable energy and let the interactions of these fantastic creatures feed your soul.
The dog park allows me to pet and bond with many different personalities and breeds. I am not in a situation at present where I can own my own wolf pack, but the dog park provides me with my very own temporary pack of dogs. It is a fantasy world where I can pretend to have all the different breeds I could ever wish or hope for.
The owners of the dogs sometimes pose a bit of a problem. On occasions they have the audacity to try and strike up a conversation with me when I am attempting to ingratiate myself to their animal. I have clearly made no attempt at communicating with them, the "owner" so I find their attempts at inane conversation rather impolite. Can't they understand I am in a dog rapture and do not wish to be disturbed? I resent when the humans ask profane questions of me and so I fob them off with a cursory nod, a lazy half smile and the most basic phatic communion.
The voice that I use to speak to dogs is not of course my everyday voice. It has been described as crazy and manic but I know for a fact that the dogs love it, find it charismatic and intoxicating and understand me better because of it. When I say "fact" I mean my completely imaginary belief that I have a gift of being able to communicate with the animals. I can't prove I have a gift of communicating with animals but, to bastardize a quote from another grand character of the imagination, without faith in my delusions I am nothing but a crazy wannabe dog whisperer. At the moment I'm not ready to let my dog whisperer alter ego die.
Another great aspect of the dog park and one that I find very therapeutic, indeed I think this is a big reason I find this place so enjoyable, is the ability to project my own stories onto the relationships and the dogs themselves. As I am a frequent attendee, I have certain favorites and have thrust upon them character traits for my own amusement. Like the mute in Carson McCullers' "The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter", I can project onto these beauteous little beasts the most frivolous romantic comedies and melodramas. It is a little reality show unto itself and allows me to release, escape and be a happy fly on the wall observing their free and primal lives while creating stories in my mind.
I can't quite crystalize why I am obsessed with dogs. Perhaps it is their attitude towards life, how ready they are to flick the joy switch at any opportunity and play, play, play. I just know that a visit to the dog park is a way I can have some quality "me time" and pump up my soul with a fix of dogginess.
EmoticonEmoticon