Running with Pops

Running with Pops

Hey, it's me again! It's been raining the last coupla days so Pops and I haven't been out with the bike. Just walking around the neighborhood. Been a lot more peaceful this way. Yeah, no more getting jacked up by know-it-all busy-bodies. Guess Pops been telling you about all that, huh! Yeah, that last one really got to him, after a string of them lately. What's up with that?! 

He held it pretty good, though. The most he said was "Shut up."  No "F' word or nuthin'. But for most of the ride he was kinda lost in his own thoughts. Every now and then I hear him breathing deep, and we weren't even going up a hill or nuthin'. A coupla times he shook his head and shoulders - kinda like what we do when we're wet but he doesn't know how to do it right. I think it made him a bit dizzy! LOL! It wasn't till we got to Stowe Lake that he lightened up. I mean, who wouldn't? It was beautiful out there. They just finished paving the road so it was all smooth and smelling nice from the rain and just then, the sun came out too. That's when he remembered I was there and he looked over at me and gave me a treat. "Good dog!" he said, but I didn't do anything to deserve a treat. 'Course I took it anyway. Who needs a reason?!

Seems to me Pops got a lot more upset than need be. Funny. I mean, not his being upset but how he got upset. You know how he said them people identified themselves with their misery, like, their identity = misery? And that's why they act the way they do? Well, seems to be Pops got some identity thing too, although it's not about being unhappy. See, Pops sees himself as a good dog person - kind, knowledgeable and conscientious - like, picking up my poop and everything. And he is all that - I'm a witness and I can testify! But... he's built himself an identity around it. Now, identity, as we Buddhists know, is an illusory thing. There is no fixed thing called "I" and as long as we think we have one, we cling to it, defend it and sometimes lay a heavy trip on others because of it, like them people who been harassing him. So Pops was upset that the nice image or ID he has of himself was disrespected. But really, it was just all of them having identity clashes with each other - like how me and Trina bark at other dogs in our neighborhood sometimes.

Yeah, I say sometimes. I usually never bark or harass other dogs. I'm one mellow guy. But with Trina around, she gets me going. There' re a coupla yappers that he hates. So when she barks, I bark. Gotta give her support, right? I mean, she's my sister and all. Plus, I don't know what we're barking at half the time, but I don't want her to think I'm a flake, or a wuss. See? We all got ID issues.

With Trina, it's also from her conditioning. I don't know her past but humans have done all kinds of shitty things to us dogs. Moms and Pops have been real good to her but they can't seem to change some things. I guess Trina still thinks she's a shepherd even though there's no sheep around to protect and no bad wolves to attack us. She's stuck on her identity. LOL! But... She did scare away someone who tried to steal the planter on our front stoop once. Yeah, she was baa-a-ad!

Anyway, I think Pops had a few days to chill out and I think he sees through some of his own stuff. I guess being scolded is one of his hot buttons, especially when it comes from white people. Yeah, a lot of karma and past conditioning... Shit happens and it takes a lot to get over it, which is why I say, don't give people shit! It's gonna come back to you one way or another. Don't add any more to what we already got!

Adios, muchachos!