There are those who enter your life and live along side of you with no intent, and only by chance do you ever get to know them. Strangely however, one of those beings has affected my life more than I really gave them credit for. At a time in my life where the solid ground in which I walked was cracking underneath my feet, and the premeditated path of my life was becoming diluted due to my own misperceptions and false conclusions, I committed to sitting on an egg for a week while the owners went off on holiday. I originally thought that this would be a time for me to let loose, and do whatever it was that I wanted to do. I could have the ice cream, and dirty movie moments of McCauley Culcan's Home Alone. With responsibility and respect for another's empire, I ran the castle as best I could. The steam shower was most memorable, as I had not previously experienced the pore opening satisfaction, of being steamed half to death. The feeling of freedom was overwhelming. That all came to an abrupt end after one, chaotic, life altering night. After being witness to the atrocities of mankind, and visuals of death and decay that still haunt my dreams, I had a mild breakdown. A realization that my dream of serving behind a badge was just that; and the reality of being a public servant would only blacken my perception and hope in humanity.
On four legs and a surprisingly dry nose, I was comforted that night by a friend who I didn't expect to raise the bar for myself and others around me, who stayed within two feet of me at all times just to provide comfort to me. With no form of verbal communication, he was there to present the purest good that this world contains, and provided me with the comfort that I needed to bring me out of my dismal thought processes. Without one word being said to one another, in one night, he helped me be at peace, and to get some sleep.
The next morning, with lingering thoughts of the previous day's images, I found goodbye to be a wall that I did not have the strength to climb on my own. So with hesitation, I opened the car door. Much to my surprise, he (without hesitation) hopped in and took position. I was impressed to see that he sat face forward, and would not retreat to the back seat, choosing to face the world head on. He, in that half second, established himself as my partner in crime for that day's journeys. I needed no leash, and I had no worries about him sprinting away to examine distant objects, because of his calm, comforting demeanor. I'd never really talked openly to an animal before, but this time it seemed to be so natural. With the definition of a peaceful and inquisitive look in his eyes, he would glance to me, almost as if to ask what our next stop was going to be. I included him in my routines all week, and it felt natural to introduce him to friends. Of course they agreed that this is one of the coolest dogs ever, but I felt differently. I felt that calling him the "coolest dog" was an understatement of his personality. It did not do him justice at all. Not by a long shot. As I previously mentioned, I did not expect for this relationship to ignite into the absolute perfection that existed, but it was one of the most memorable weeks of my life, and he was at the center of it.
I handed back the keys to his castle, and said my temporary goodbye. Time passed, things changed, lessons were learned, and the world became an increasingly complex place to reside. However, whenever I returned to my good friend's place of residence, I was always greeted by my noble, four legged, surprisingly dry nosed partner in crime, as if time had stood still since that week. No judging, No pointing out of faults. No conditions. While sometimes distracted, he always made time for me to give him a double handed rub behind the ears as he returned a thankful, sincere and welcoming gaze. He changed my perception of man's best friend, and will continue to be the benchmark of canine perfection in my eyes.
God speed Palmer. Thank you for taking care of me when I needed it. Tell Gussie, Fred, Lucy and Ethel that I love them. I'm sure they will be glad to show you the ins and outs, as well as the leaping/bounding technique through the tall grass of spiritual freedom you will come to love. I hope to see you front and center at the welcoming party when my walk down the path concludes, to receive the double handed, behind the ear rubs you've showed me you appreciated throughout the years. (Please don't be upset when I give the first pet to another, for my loyalties will have reserved it for Gussie and Lucy)
Godspeed my friend. You will be missed, and you will never be forgotten
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