Remember to have fun – Sunday 15th September 2019

Remember to have fun

Remember to have fun, life is short. Here I am at the tail end of my life, but I’ve learnt a few things along the way. I would never have got to the age I am now if I hadn’t stayed young at heart. Our Mistress spent yesterday morning at a petting zoo. She didn’t go with anyone. She just went to spend some time with the animals. Later she was talking to me about it and what she said made me think. When she bought her ticket, the girl on the till was surprised that she was there alone and not planning to meet anyone. Our Mistress thought about turning to talk to an imaginary friend and paying for two entrance tickets, just to worry the girl, but resisted the temptation.

Anyway, watching the small children having fun set my Mistress to thinking.

Cardboard box

Humans encourage small children to develop their imaginations. They will do things like give a small child a cardboard box to play with and suggest that the box can be anything they want it to be. However, if an adult human is at work and gets some stationery and then proceeds to sit in the empty box, it is likely to worry their colleagues. It’s not good that human explaining it’s their boat for the afternoon and they are having fun, that’s something only children are allowed to do. Humans spend the first few years of life being encouraged to be creative and the rest of their lives having it stamped back out of them.

Parents

There were young parents at the petting zoo apparently. It didn’t matter that the small child they had taken was fast asleep in a buggy, they were having fun and that was ok as they had a small child with them. Not actively involved… but with them.

Why do I think as a dog I have a right to comment? Just look at Shadow. She is going to be 11 in February, so at the moment she is about 74 or so in human terms. She LOVES playing ball. She approaches every meal with the excitement of a puppy. She bounces at every opportunity and smiles the widest smile.

Life is very short and very precious. Remember to pet the animals, smell the flowers, eat the biscuits. Play ball with the dog – not just because the dogs wants to, but because you want to.

With love

Alfie