Walking the Dog

I've learned that there isn't anything better than going for a nice walk with Winston. Lots of folks, and I'll admit that I have been in this group too from time to time, think of walking the dog as this chore that has to be done. When it is -20 degrees or when there is horizontal rain and wind that can be easy to understand. But those days are rare, even at this northern latitude, and most of the time I find that a nice walk is one of the best things going. I have thought on many occasions that Winston is saving my life. I don't have any terminal illness, or even chronic condition, but Winston helps to keep me grounded and prevents me from getting lost in my own head. He depends on me and reminds me of the greater world.

I have a tendency at this time of year to fall into a slump, it feels more like a pit, and it can take an awful lot of effort on my part to crawl back out of it. I guess it is part of the change from being so busy and interacting with so many people on a daily basis to having a much shorter "to do" list and seeing only a handful of folks. All of a sudden I find that I have a lot of time on my hands where most of the people I know and love are at work and it is easy to walk right into that pit. Winston keeps me from falling too far and he helps me to get out quicker. He looks at me with those big, brown eyes and says, "Come on mom, let's go for a walk". Getting outside, out of my pj's, out of my house, out of the dialogue in my head saves me everyday. If I didn't have Winston I wouldn't have to go - or more correctly - I would have to go but I would be able to rationalize that it was not required.

So, although Winston needs me, I need him too. I've had people (people who don't have dogs) say that they can't believe that I walk him everyday. And to be honest, I don't walk him everyday; he goes to daycare two days a week, so I'm only walking him 4-5 days a week. Unless I want to go on a daycare day; Winston is always up for a walk with mom. But, what these folks don't get is I don't know what I would be like if I didn't walk him those 4-5 days a week. That's how he saves my life a little bit everyday. That, and walking with Winston helped me quit smoking.

There isn't anything better than going for a nice walk with Winston.