The Spontaneous Humor of Dog Walking

While growing up, playing outside with my sister and cousins was always so much fun Being active as a kid was so easy because we had so much energy, and of course, when we were so young fitness wasn t on our minds so much. Now as an adult, I feel like everywhere I look I see people trying to find their favorite ways to be physically active and healthy. I have always loved being outside, so now as an adult I still look for ways to be active outdoors so I can get fresh air while moving my body

After being an athlete for over half of my life, I’m no longer interested in pushing my body to its physical limits Instead, I like to do things that allow my body to move without strain or stress Something I have come to enjoy is going for walks I know, just plain old walking may sound boring, especially to people who seek the natural highs of intense workouts. But simple walks around the neighborhood can turn out to be quite interesting at times.

There was one day over the summer I really wanted to go on a longer walk than usual, but I didn t want to walk around town all alone, so I brought the family dog with me His name is Zeus, and he is a 100-pound Cane Corso People say he looks scary, but he’s really just a big, sweet baby When we set off down the street, I had forgotten to bring any plastic bags with me to pick up his poop.I thought to myself, “I really hope he doesn t poop in any of the neighbors yards, but if he does, I guess I’ll come pick it up later…” I live just two blocks from the center of my small hometown, so we arrived quickly at the store fronts

Fortunately, there weren’t many people out shopping that day, but when we got close to an old closed-down deli I saw a cat sitting on the windowsill inside the shop Thank god that cat was in the shop instead of outside I honestly don’t think Zeus would hurt a fly, but still I was glad I didn’t have to deal with that And how odd to see a cat inside an abandoned store in this do-nothing town.

Anyway, we made our way down the street to the school I attended for elementary school, which has also been closed down for years now I thought it would be nice to walk over there to check it out and reminisce about the sweet days of my childhood. Zeus was sniffing around the grass, which is normal for dogs, so we were wandering around slowly in the large backyard We were in a big grassy patch when suddenly Zeus stopped walking altogether I looked down and his back all hunched up the tell-tale sign. Oh, shit, I thought literally. I was over half a mile from my house and didn’t want to walk all the way back here to pick that up I hesitantly looked all around and didn’t see anyone on the sidewalk or in the nearby church parking lot; so, as soon as he finished, we hurried away from the scene. I was over half a mile from my house and didn’t want to walk all the way back here to pick that up

I hesitantly looked all around and didn t see anyone on the sidewalk or in the nearby church parking lot; so, as soon as he finished, we hurried away from the scene I felt bad leaving his steaming pile in the middle of the playground, but I figured the school is closed, no one uses this anyway, right? No one will ever know

The rest of our walk was uneventful and calm, until I was almost home After walking nearly two miles, Zeus’ feet were practically dragging, because he was still less than a year old and not used to going on such long walks One block from my house, a young man rode by us on a bicycle and said he liked my dog. I simply said thanks and the man rode off. Only then did I think about how the two of us must look together, walking around town Me, a young woman in my favorite summer workout clothes, with this massive dog who supposedly looks ferocious

That walk around town was certainly different from any of my other walks because I usually go by myself. To be truthful, it wasn’t anything particularly special, but sometimes you just need to look for the little pieces of humor to make mundane tasks like walking more fun I challenge you to go for a walk around your neighborhood, even if it’s chilly outside, and look for ways to make the walk fun and exciting!

Sally Bessette