Old, Dogs

Previously on jamelah.net, I wrote that I go for a lot of walks now. What I didn’t mention is that I am obsessed with everyone’s dogs. What I mean by that is that if you and I were walking on the same street, say, and you were headed north and I was headed south, and you were walking a dog, I might not notice you at all, but I’d 100% notice your dog. I would also want to pet your dog and learn your dog’s name and be friends with your dog.

In this (imagined, but let’s face it — all too real because it’s happened several times) scenario, I have never wanted to learn the names of any of the people I encounter when out for a walk and I have never had the impulse to be friends with them. My husband, who is a people person turned up to 11 almost all the time — what an extrovert, how did our relationship even happen — always says hi to everyone we encounter when he is walking with me, and he will also occasionally ask me if I noticed something about some people we walked by, and I will say things like “They were walking a malamute?” in response.

I’m sorry, I’m not a people person, but I like dogs so much.

Who am I kidding? I am not sorry about this in the slightest.

All of this to say that last night, we drove to Lake Michigan to look at the stars over the water because we could, and it turns out that could is a circumstance that doesn’t always present itself, so it’s important to take the opportunities when we can. (I also took some photos over the lake, which was beautifully calm most of the time we were there, and I’ll share them eventually, though not today because I’ve decided to stick with stock photos of dogs, and really, you can’t go wrong with dogs).

We got there and walked out to the edge of the pier, took some photos, listened to a bunch of random drunk kids (so many random drunk kids!) and as we were walking back to the car, would you believe that there was a puppy walking the other direction, toward the lighthouse? The puppy was on a leash and the leash was being held by a person. I know nothing about this person other than this happened:

I smiled, thisclose to saying hello to the puppy who was crossing the pier to walk toward me because I’m pretty sure all dogs know that I just want to be their friend, she said “He’s like ‘Oh look at those old people!’ Come on!” And she tugged the puppy’s leash and they walked on. We also walked on for a few beats in silence.

“Wait a second, did she just call us old people?”

I’d still be friends with her puppy though. Maybe I could be its honorary grandma? She must be 22.

How’s everyone else’s weekend?