And It's Good For You, Too!

PFFFSHHHHHfffff… this is the sound of the steam that has been building up inside of me being released.  I must admit it feels almost as titillating to do, as it is to say.  It isn’t every day I get to do this, much like the many other things I am desirous of doing that I suspect are good, are good for me, or don’t have more than 500 calories.

I relish the leisurely mornings that I set aside for this exceptional experience with my perpetual playmate.  Not that it is the same routine each time, it shouldn’t be – wonder and surprise from a less traveled path will await you around each bend.  I would highly recommend that you switch it up, make an adventure out of the whole passage.  The end result is worth every bit of energy you set forth during the journey.

Since there will be two of you, make sure to take into consideration your “partner in crime’s” needs.  Listen carefully; their suggestions may make a regular ramble revitalizing, refreshing and restorative and bring back memories of your first time together.

Yes, a walk with your dog is good for what ails you.  Getting out into the fresh air and hitting the pavement, or better yet a nice, shady, forested path with my animals, helps me to release that nasty (wrinkle-inducing) pent up steam, get the cobwebs cleared and make light my drudgery of preparing my doughy derriere for dancing.  Besides it is quite fun and relaxing – and some of the new “outfits” for such occasions are darling.

Each of my furry friends has their own personality and unique pace they set when exploring a new walking path.  Their delight of encountering new smells and marking their territory (I always have a pooper-scooper on hand) make them take on dog-like qualities and behavior that they must normally suppress in their everyday urban and urbane existence.  It makes me happy to see them so happy – tails a’waggin’, a smile and an orneriness in their eyes – and being who they were born to be.

By choosing to walk with my canine companions I can thrash out the meaning of life or choose not to confer at all.  Can’t say that if you go with a person.  You feel obliged to chit-chat and deliberate, which in turns slows down the pace of your outing thus not getting your heart beating in the healthy and aerobic sense, burning less calories (which translates into not being able to justify that big fudgey brownie you know is waiting for you at home – so, what is the point?). Besides, this is “our” time with antics and escapades that only we share and secrets that we won’t and don’t.

The bond of friendship and trust is solidified.  The realization that being chosen to be a component of their “pack” is truly a special privilege and feeling of belonging that might do the people part of the world some good to learn and then practice regularly.

Get up!  Get movin’!  Get on those walking shoes, grab the leash and woman’s best friend and let’s give out a collective PFFFSHHHHHffff – it will get the ya-ya’s out of your system and besides, it’s good for you and your pooch-a-rooni, too!

Cynthia A. McClelland, curious observer of the obvious with interpretations of the oddities of daily life.  Mother, wife and lover of the furry, resides in the north Lake Tahoe area.

Cynthia A. McClelland © 2003-