To Catch A Pup

[blairmacg]

My sis and her family live on a military base, and I’m on and off the base a few times a week to help care for my nephews.  The road through the base swings around a field of about five or six acres near the family housing.

As I was pulling onto that road last week, I saw a boy walking, leash in hand, toward a beautiful and tall Husky sniffing around the side of the road.  Behind him, his parents were splitting up to close off escape routes.  I drove a little farther down the road, stopped my car beside a couple other cars, and joined a half dozen folks who had the same idea I did.

The Husky walked back to the boy, ducked his head… then tore off for the field with his tail up high.

For the next half hour, I was part of an impromptu mission to capture the pup.  Men and women — some in uniforms, some not — running back and forth in lines and arcs to keep the pup from bolting for the gates, and to gradually shrink his romping area.

And romping he was!  Head up, he pranced and sprinted and leapt all over that field.  Time and again, he bowed down in front of one of us, tail swinging, waiting for a single twitch to tell him where we were going to play next.

Everyone was laughing.  Sure, it was important we catch that pup, but it was so clear the pup was having the absolute time of his life!  And as orders and warnings were called (“HOLE!” was the most common, since the field was riddled with prairie dog dens), we humans played his game in the bright sun and cool breeze until the pup stopped, shook himself from nose to tail, and trotted over to the woman holding his leash.

More laughing, an exchange of waves, and we all piled into our respective cars and went on our way.  I passed that kid I’d first seen, now holding a leash with a tongue-lolling dog on the other end, and grinned all the way home.

As I was driving home, I thought, “This is one of those things that would happen to asakiyume!”   Then, in the next moment, I thought, “No, her stories have changed the way I see things, and that’s an incredible thing.”

And then I thought I should tell her, and tell all of you, about the Husky and the military folks and the laughter and the sun, and the power of perspective to change a story and a life.

I might have gotten teary-eyed in there somewhere, too.

Comments

[queenoftheskies.livejournal.com]

That is an amazing story, both because of the incident and because of all the people who took the time to stop and help. (You, of course, are always wonderful to help others.)

[blairmacg.livejournal.com]

I just knew that Husky was going to run, given the smallest opening and opportunity... :)

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

I laughed out loud reading this. I can picture it so clearly! What fun for all of you, but especially that dog. And it really took the tenuous magic of all of you being in the right mood--patient, accepting, appreciative of the fun, so it's you-all, collectively, who made it happen for each other. The puppy was the spark, but if the parents had been cursing and haranguing, or if the boy had been weeping, or if drivers had been sighing with irritation and hurrying on by, it would never have happened. .... Maybe the puppy's joy was too strong for anyone to resist, or maybe you all have a pretty big spark of joy yourselves, and together, what a shine! No wonder you got a little teary-eyed. Thank you for sharing--it's brightened my morning (and you should see the sun; it's a glorious morning to begin with.) And my toes curl in delight to have you associate this magic with me, when--conversely--in my mind, you yourself are just such a touchstone of goodwill and community. You're like that puppy ^_^

[haikujaguar.livejournal.com]

I thought, reading this, "If I click on the comments, Asakiyume will have said something and the circle of awesome will be complete."

And lo, it was thus.

Now I am cheerful. |)

[blairmacg.livejournal.com]

It's a thing of wonder and coolness. And I mean that sincerely. :)

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

:-)

[greylistening.livejournal.com]

This is indeed an Asakiyume moment! :)

[blairmacg.livejournal.com]

Isn't it? :)

[blairmacg.livejournal.com]

Yay, Pup-Me! :)

It was an amazing bit of serendipity. And that pup was beautiful.

[aamcnamara.livejournal.com]

Aw, that's a great story. Thank you for sharing!

[blairmacg.livejournal.com]

You're very welcome!

[jorrie-spencer.livejournal.com]

Very husky behavior! They're so beautiful.

[blairmacg.livejournal.com]

Isn't it? I just knew, when I saw boys and parents all *behind* the pup, there was no way they were going to catch him alone unless the pup wanted to be caught. :)

[sartorias.livejournal.com]

Oh, what a lovely day and a lovely experience--everyone having a good time! Thank you for sharing.

[blairmacg.livejournal.com]

You're most welcome! It was a lovely thing indeed, in so many ways.

[danceswithwaves.livejournal.com]

That's a wonderful story with everything happening just right for it to turn out wonderful. Definitely a bit of Asakiyume's magic in there. Thanks for sharing!

[blairmacg.livejournal.com]

You're welcome! It was indeed magic. :)