I understand the thing about the goldfish now.
Out
in my front yard there is a stone wall. It becomes one of those
fairly well-formed retaining walls when it turns and follows the
driveway to the house. But along the front, on both sides of the
driveway, it has that old look. Round stones and flat stones,
with gaps and spaces and a couple of places that appear ready
to fall.
And
it has chipmunks.
I
don’t know how many are living there, but there is at least one
on each side. I know this only because one time I saw two chipmunks,
facing each other from opposite walls at the edge of the driveway.
A
few weeks ago, I sat and watched.
I
was having a particularly miserable day. Couldn’t focus on my
writing. Had a honey-do list where every item was fighting me
and taking twice as long to finish as it should. And it was almost
time to head into the kitchen to make dinner. Having spent the
better part of two hours fighting with a lawn mower that didn’t
want to run, I sat down on the front steps.
A
head popped into view.
Over
about five minutes, we both adjusted our positions. I moved down
the driveway and sat on the wall about twenty feet from the chipmunk.
It moved to the top of the wall and then stood pretty much still,
only occasionally turning its head. And for perhaps ten minutes,
I just watched.
I’m
not going to tell you I had some sort of tremendous moment here.
I
was watching a chipmunk.
But
all those stories of how watching fish in an aquarium can lower
blood pressure suddenly make sense. Because I felt better after
watching this chipmunk. I felt better for no reason at all.
And
when my new friend dove back into the wall, I turned and went
back to the house, to push my headache of a lawnmower back to
the garage.
Back
to the house with a new appreciation for smelling the roses and
enjoying the quiet, little moments as they pass.
I
take great pride in both of my four-legged children… Lady and
Travis… the Labradors. Those of you that know her will be happy
to hear that a very healthy Lady has passed her eleventh birthday.
Travis is closing in on his sixth. When I come home from work,
there they are… tails wagging, looking up at me, fighting for
prime position for the welcome home head scratches. Every dog
lover out there understands the “we are so glad to see
you” tap dance that goes on. Makes for a great transition between
the work day and the evening.
Makes
a house a home.
I
really don’t have much of a point for this essay. I wasn’t
sure if I would find one as I wrote it. I’m not sure that I’ve
found one now that I’m almost done. But when I came home this
evening and came around the corner into the driveway, a chipmunk
sprinted under some leaves and over a rock.
And
I smiled.
Then
I got to the back door, opened it up, and was almost knocked to
the ground by jumping dogs.
And
I smiled again.
Right
now, as I finish this, Travis is curled up around my feet, and
Lady is in the bedroom warming up Tigg’s side.
Life
is good.
And
I have the chipmunks to thank for pointing that out.