Just about every night before I go to bed, I take my dogs for a last walk. Sometimes it’s just a short run outside; sometimes it’s a longer stroll through the apartment complex or around the block.
Since I’d been out of the house a lot today, I figured the pups deserved a longer walk tonight. I decided we’d walk around the outside of the apartment complex — lately I’ve been avoiding the paths inside the complex since my dog Lally can be skittish around kids.
We were halfway around when a large white SUV came roaring by. Someone was hanging out the window screaming.
And then they threw a handful of exploding caps at us. It scared me for sure… and worse, it scared the dogs. Moose took off running in one direction (towards the nearest apartment, thankfully, and not towards the street) and Lally took off running down the street. I managed to reel them back in and get them calmed down so we could walk back home.
It’s taken me a lot longer to calm down. That walk back was the longest half-block of my life. I was sure the jerks in the white SUV were going to pull a U-turn and come back for another laugh. I squinted at each car going by, trying to glimpse a few letters or numbers from the license plate, just in case.
I just can’t understand what makes a person think actions like this are fun. Torturing animals is not fun. If it had been me alone out for a walk, I wouldn’t be quite so angry. Hurt me, I don’t care. Hurt my dogs, you’ve incurred my wrath.
In cases like this, I wish I could be more like my dogs. They’re very forgiving of hurts — whether I accidentally step on a paw or give them a time-out if they’re barking at the patio door. Less than a minute later, all is forgiven and they’re looking for love and cuddles. I tend to be a grudge holder.
Sometimes, I want to find a place to live that’s far away from people and the jerky things they do. Sometimes, I wish people were more like dogs.