Happy Charlie Bravo Day!
Well, we’re back at the Casa… it was a whirlwind trip; five days from Arkansas to Colorado and back. It was primarily a pilgrimage to Red Rocks to see Joe Bonamossa, but it was also a chance for Mom to experience some of the places that Charlie and I have discovered on our motorcycle trips out west.
But when you cram that many miles into that short of a time frame, it can become a bit grueling on the unprepared. That is why Mom initially didn’t want to take any of the inmates along for such a death march. On the other paw, I cannot imagine taking a road trip without at least one dog in attendance, and maybe even more; how does one cope without having canines constantly in attendance?
So, who would it be? Not Mia, as she has an issue with car sickness and would be yarking up carnival salsa before we exited the driveway. Micro Polo? He’s waaaay too clingy, only content to be in my lap or behind my head while I’m driving, which gets old quickly. Titus? He was my first choice, because A: he’s Mom’s dog and this was her trip, and B: he’s so chill that he would just veg in the back of the SUV. But, as laid back as he is, he would also be the most content to just hang out at the Casa, sprawled on his favorite chair(s).
That left Charlie and MacDuff, but this was not a competition; it was based on who would enjoy a trip like this the most. Charlie has been involved in many grueling journeys, too many to recount, and she is getting a bit older. Whether on the bike or in the car, it’s not the ride itself, but the jumping down and then back up into her saddle every time we stop that wears on her. And while the guilt of not taking her would gnaw at my conscience for the entire trip, I knew that letting her recuperate from two long trips this summer was for the best.
That left the Duff, and he had an absolute blast. It’s not fair to compare him to Charlie, as the Queen will always be in a class by herself. Her arrival on the scene was not a case of “who saved who”, but it was obvious that it was meant to be for both of us; we were both suffering from confinement in our own personal crates, and recovered together.
But her story is not yet over; while the type of traveling may change, we both have many more journeys to take together. And I do believe that MacDuff was placed in my path for a similar purpose. While the conditions of his rescue where a bit less dramatic than Charlie’s, our meeting was no less miraculous; how often to do you encounter a ragged, beaten up mutt with a gimpy leg that turns into such a annoyingly magnificent but obnoxious little goober?
It’s not a competition; like Charlie and Duff, we all have a job to fulfill at wherever we happen to be on our particular journeys. “Seek first your brother’s wealth” is not an order to covet what another has, but an admonishment to prefer others to yourself. Some know it as “karma”, others call it “sowing and reaping”, but it all boils down to what you send out, you get back ten fold.
And I like that rate of return on that investment…
We be of one blood, ye and I.
