It's a Dog's Life

We have a 5-year old English Springer Spaniel named "Scout" (so-named because of his liver & white patchwork color, that resembles "Tonto's" old paint horse).

Scout leads a great life. He is fed, housed, catered to, his medical is free-----(I wonder sometimes if he has a "green card!")

But when I'm outside working on cars, or doing anything else out in the bad weather, he's INSIDE if he chooses, curled up taking a nap.

When Donna gets home from Wally-World, she's always glad to see him, and when the grandkids are here, he's out in the backyard running and playing with them.

Scout has absolutely no stress in his life. Has no bills, pays no taxes....nothing on the evening news ever upsets him, if he doesn't like something, he just barks at it.

As long as the food is there and we are too.............everything's cool with him. He gets petted, played with and gets his belly rubbed..........he's good to go.

He's probably happier being a dog, than most people are, being humans.

Now mind you......I would NOT want to be a DOG, and have to settle for a bowl of IAMS everyday, or have my "potty breaks" out in a snow-filled or rainy backyard, and I would hate to miss out on driving my old cars, shooting and playing music..........but the sheer lack of stress in my life would almost make up for it.

When you really think about it, what does a DOG (or a cat for that matter) actually think about, or worry about as they watch this screwed-up world go by?

And it's probably true what they say about a dog being "man's best friend"

They're a much better "burgler alarm system" than anything you see on a tv commercial.

And they're loyal.

If you lost your job, had your furniture repossessed, evicted from your house, your spouse left you, and you were sitting out on the curb flat-broke..........that dog would be sitting right out there WITH you.

You'd soon find out who your "other friends" were. But if that dog is YOUR dog........he's YOUR DOG. He gives love unconditionally and expects nothing in return. You and him are "buds!"

But sometimes, I walk into the house, aching and dirty from laying under something out there, sort through the monthly power & water bills, mortgage payment, satellite, Ma Bell, insurance....etc...........FOX news is on, and MORE crap is on the way.

Scout's laying there stretched out on his back like he's "playing dead"........and all I can think of is......."Scout.......just for today, I wish you were ME, and I was YOU!"

What a life!