…before you can pour from it.”
I would love to agree with the author of this statement, but then we would both be wrong; if you wait for someone or something else to fill your bowl before you start pouring into other’s bowls, there’s going to be precious little pouring going on.
History is full of examples of those who appeared to have nothing making a huge difference by unselfishly giving what little they actually have, and guess what? It always seems to be enough, and the giver never seems suffer additional hardship.
Such is life at the Casa; things have a way of “working out”. Christians call it the Law of Sowing and Reaping, Buddhists call it Karma, but it all means the same to this dog: to get, you first have to give, and what you give, pawsitive or negative, will return to you tenfold.
That’s not to say that I don’t occasionally take some time nibble my own butt from time to time, or thrash around on my back for no obvious reason, or race around the yard, fleeing in mock terror from Sandy’s psuedo-attacks. Some would add that time spent on dad’s motorcycle falls into this category, but the truth of the matter is that I view this not as recreation, but as a mission. If you ever get a chance to see me ride, you will understand; from the second I mount up, my demeanour is all business. My “Chark” changes from one of aimless joy to strident demand; come ON, dad, times a wastin’! We have things to see and people to meet, and miles to go before we sleep!
I’ll leave you with this; years ago, when Zach was small, he had a peculiar way of making friends. Rather than approach a group of kids, he would nonchalantly drag out his coolest toys, his new GI Joe set up, whatever, and casually start playing with it. Although seemingly unaware in the interest that he was generating, dad would notice that he seemed to pick a strategic location in full view of the crowd. The other kids would eventually wander over, and friendships were made.
Dad once had an aversion to telling of our adventures, as he was concerned that others might view this sharing as bragging or “showing off”. Now we have come to the conclusion that this page is the equivalent of Zach’s methods of long ago, we are simply playing with our coolest toys.
And as they were freely gifted to us, why shouldn’t we share them freely?
Happy Charkday, and Chark Diem!
