moving on
today was probably the last time i will see him. he’s been a fixture of my mornings since the hot weather started, hanging his droopy head out of mandatory open windows since it seems air conditioning is not a luxury to be had by all.
and every morning, i tried to point out his perch on the second floor to shaun the dog™ since they essentially grew up together. but shaun never understood what or who i was pointing at. i wonder if he senses a soon-to-be loss.
cylus the dog™ and his owners are moving to seattle tomorrow.
cylus, two weeks younger than shaun, came to the neighborhood pretty much the same time my baby started wreaking havoc on my rugs and shoes. i never became friends with cylus’ owner, but our acquaintance was met with idle chit-chat as we passed each other outside on our walks, training our respective beasts. and as cylus and shaun got bigger and stronger, we dropped their leashes and just let them rumble a bit on the sidewalk while we shared boxer anecdotes.
more recently, on a handful of occasions the two had a chance to gallop in the dog park side by side. a true sight to behold is that of two boxers nearly the same size and age playing in true breed form with tongues unrolled, ears flapping, not a care in the world except for maybe alpha-possession over a stick or tennis ball. a happy shaun is one who returns home with slobber-coated fur, panting heavily with his tongue sprawled out on the floor, enjoying the cool from the hardwood (our bathroom is too small for him to reap the benefits of a cold tile floor).
i talk about their departure as if i am saddened by it. watching a near stranger leave in order to embrace a newlywed lifestyle in another corner of the country. the truth is, i am slightly bummed. and i am sad for shaun, whom i do believe knows of their impending west coast trek. he seemed a bit dejected today at lunch.
truly the part that i’m having a difficult time with is yet another person(s) in my life, immediate relation or not, is moving on. buying property, relocating, marrying off or gulp embracing the concept of conception.
i guess in a way, i still feel a bit juvenile as i toodle to work everyday on my bike and rush home to play ball with my dog. some days i am content with the simplicity of this position in life, but other days, as the homeowning newlyweds in my life multiply, i can’t help but think i’m missing out on something grander.