  In April of this year, my dog died. His name was Newt, and he mattered a great deal in my life. He also became very important to nearly everyone he met.. For being a simple Labrador retriever, he had an immense impact on so many people. And to me, personally, he also symbolized a decade. I got Newton as in 1998, shortly after the death of a former dog. Newton tore apart curtains, chairs, the couch, dug holes in carpeting, and ate snow. He also was my best friend throughout my final years of high school, new years of college, terrorist attacks on 9/11, my 21st birthday, breakups with girlfriends, my first, second, and third jobs, and my wedding. Newton was also sprayed by a skunk in 2004, and while trying to rescue him, I was too. It was a cold January night when I had to bathe him in tomato juice.. That night I went bowling with a few friends, one of whom would become my future wife three years after that incident. Perhaps Newt’s innocence led Tara to me. Newt heard me fight with people, he heard me love people, he heard me laugh, and saw me cry. And all the while, the dog never judged me, hated me, or discarded me. Instead, he carried an unconditional trust for me and a love of life. Newt loved snow. He would eat it as though it was candy.. During storms he would roll around in it and was happy. Truly happy. Newt came into my life at the end of the 20th century when I was still in high school, and died when I had a full time job and went to night class to get my college degree. I miss him terribly. I have a new dog, now, her name is Bailey. She is a rescued dog with a history, often reacting with fear to new people. I cannot compare her to Newt, because it would be unfair to both her and my former dog. But there will never be another Newt. Isn’t it interesting how the life of a dog also lasts about the same amount of time as a decade. The same amount of time as the first decade, as a matter of fact, of the 21st century. The lifespan of a dog symbolizes so many important milestones in our lives. Newton was alive as the decade turned, ate cushions as planes flew into the World Trade Center towers, rolled around in leaves as I got married. Innocence…complete innocence. And so innocent that he even survived the Janet Jackson nipple gate controversy around mid-decade… I don’t over-value the life of animals.. I appreciate the lives of humans and think that all life is precious. It just seems like your animal becomes human over time. They inhabit your habits.. They become overly fond of your biological clock. And they sit next to you while you watch TV, go online, read news, and create a website….while patiently waiting for you to get back to life and take them out in the sun, rain, or snow. Yes indeed, Newt is rolling around on a mountain of snow.. Or something even better. Our short lives are so ever fleeting. And throughout it all we see friends and family die off. Eventually we will too. I hope and pray every night that there is something else after this war-torn earth… something more to this all of it. The calendar, again, is turning a page to a new year. New years resolutions are again being made. We are all together … but somehow we lose that sense of unity. It takes the life and death of a dog to put it into perspective…. 2009. The year that was….2010, the year that’s coming. Raise a glass, toast the past, and hope for the future. Cherish your family…value your friends. Don’t put off what is important…and most importantly, Carpe Diem: Seize the day. Live your life extraordinarily. It's something I need to start doing. And even more, live life like a dog. Get sprayed by a skunk and roll in snow. Life is short….God bless everyone and Happy 2010. HOME |
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