Old dog folk

Ronnie Wood of the Rolling Stones - Rock Star with his Beagle

I've done a lot of miles in my car recently and the image that stays with me most clearly is this.

Whilst waiting at a traffic light I saw a very senior gentleman pushing his walking aid across the road; by his side was an equally senior Beagle.  The two of them shuffled across the road from one pavement, onto the island in the middle, then onto the other side of the road.

It took time.

Happily, all of us in our cars waited patiently.  Their crossing took longer than the time allotted by the traffic lights, and the lights went green before they’d finished their crossing.

Nobody seemed to mind.

Perhaps I wasn’t alone in thinking, be patient … that old man will be us someday.  I hope people will be patient when our time comes. 

The old gent was stooped; he wore a flat cap and heavy boots, but it was his dog that particularly caught my eye … or rather the bond between the two of them. 

His Beagle was broad across the back; he carried too much weight -probably from years of not enough exercise and too much food.  He was grey about the muzzle and his tan, black and white coat was faded.

Have you noticed that Beagles do seem to fade with age more than other breeds?

The gent didn't look up, or raise his hand to thank anyone. He just shuffled across, concentrating hard on getting to the other side of the road.   

It was a monumental effort.

The lead that joined the two of them was slack with no tension at all; there was a practiced harmony between them, which was completely visible.

Without that faded Beagle by his side the old gent would probably be indoors; just sitting and waiting.

Being curious about the dog/human bond, I wanted to hop out of my car and find out more about their story.  Instead, I pressed on with my journey - people to meet places to go!

AJK

This edition of jwtd is dedicated to Martin Newell, whose skill and generosity is much appreciated.

With sincere thanks,

AJK