Taking a Leap Off the ‘EGDE’

In response to Daily Prompt’s weekly photo challenge- EDGE.

What exactly defines someone as “living on the edge?” Is it those who jump out of airplanes? Maybe the ones that invest all of their money in a risky investment without breaking a sweat. Either way, “living on the edge” involves taking some risk.

What’s your edge and why haven’t you taken a leap off yet? At times I find myself battling this question as I teeter between the safe zone and the risk. There always needs to be some intelligent course of action and plan so if it doesn’t go as expected, you can hurry back to safety. Most recently my dog took a leap off her edge.

Typically my 12 year old Papillion hasn’t been much of a water dog. Though totally up for rough-housing and doing “big dog” things, she has traditionally shied away from dipping her tiny paws into any type of water. Last week we went to a pond with a beachfront that was finally open to dogs after the passing of Labor Day. Feeling the freedom from restriction, we both ran through the sand and down to the water’s edge where we took a moment to acknowledge where we were. After pondering her next move, she slowly made her way out into the water. I was blown away by her lack of hesitation and her immediate comfort in the calm, cool pond. When I finally looked down the beach, I noticed two large dogs playing ball and running free in the water. When my gaze returned to my own dog, that’s when I realized those dogs were what helped getting her into the pond.

They made her move off her own edge.

Although it sounds simple, this act completely encompasses  who we are as humans. We have the same fears, instabilities and uncertainties about taking chances.

As the New England fall season begins to arrive, I am still holding out hope for a few more sunny days where my dog can return and dip her paws back into the water.

Pure: Finding Peace

As I sit in my windowless office, I am in need of solace, distraction and beauty. This week’s photo challenge from the Daily Post is to convey the word “Pure” through an image and I thought it was very appropriate to help satisfy my current need.

When I think about the word Pure, phrases come to mind like “innocence,” “untouched,” “calm,” “original,” and “free.” I often find myself feeling this way when I am out walking among the trees and nature with my soon-to-be 12 year old Papillion.

This photo was taken in late May when the first real hot summer weekend had made it’s debut. This two mile walk through the woods was not only peaceful for me but I felt my dog become more in-tune with her surroundings rather than the hustle and bustle of daily life. I love how she took a moment to pause on this dock bridge and take in where she was. My dog represents that feeling of purity and innocence and when I am with her during these moments, I feel a natural calm and safety.

Kids These Days

In response to The Daily Post’s writing prompt: “Hear No Evil.”

So admittedly, I have been pretty absent from blogging but I’m glad that I was able to have Daily Post prompt me with this “Hear No Evil” post and share a conversation that I could not help but overhear and wish I had not.

It was a few weeks back when spring was finally feeling like spring and I decided to take my dog for a nice walk around the high school area. Behind the high school is a track and parking lot that separates the high school from an elementary school. Typically after school hours is when I walk my dog and usually I’ll see people of all ages taking advantage of the track, playgrounds, and basketball court. As I passed a group of young boys, which by my eyesight were no older than 10 years old, I overheard one of them saying something that caught me completely off guard.

Boy 1: “Is that MacKenzie over there?”

Boy 2: ” Ugh I really hope not. That girl is a f**king bitch. Such a hoe.”

I pretty much stopped dead in my tracks, speechless and pondering if I should say something. It is an initial reaction I think most women would have when they hear someone talk about a female in such a way, especially when they are barely old enough to know how to tie their own shoes. In hindsight, I know if I had heard this story from someone else, I probably wouldn’t have been as shocked as I was in person because kids today do talk like that. For many years, I worked with kids that were in a similar age group and I would be blown away by some of the things that they would say and know about. It makes one think that kids aren’t as sheltered as we think they are and hope that they will be. It saddens me to think that young boys are already using these type of words to describe girls their age and it’s scary to think what will come out of this boy’s mouth 10 years from now.

Can You Really Give Yourself A Tagline?

In response to The Daily Post’s writing prompt: “Tagline.”

The Daily Post’s daily writing prompt has challenged it’s bloggers to write themselves a tagline that describes their human self. Can someone actually create a tagline about themselves in a world that judges them within a moment of their first encounter? I guess there are always words to live by and although we can’t always have our day to day reflect those words, we can certainly refer to them when needed. I guess my own personal tag line would be “Whatever Comes Next.” I’m a realist and I have definitley seen my share of challenges throughout my life so far but how I have handled those changes seems to have defined my soul. No matter what life has thrown at me, I find myself constantly pushing forward because honestly, you’ll never get ahead if you keep looking back. I have a lot of life left to live and things will be difficult and times will definitely get darker but knowing that I’ll be on the lookout for whatever comes next is what I hopefully choose to live by and will hopefully define my “tagline” of life.

P.S. I’m hoping this is my last mushy posting for a while 🙂