"I once read/heard that when reason or circumstance prevents us investing in parenthood, we are more likely to become closer to a cat, dog or a horse than the more ordinary person. On another occasion, I heard a comedian say, 'Being a pet owner is essentially being a person who couldn't find love with their own species.'
While I do not fully subscribe to either of the above two statements, I can find little bits of the truth in each.This is not to suggest that I believe pet owners value the life and love of their pet over that of a human, although I have known a few who undoubtedly do, and who would not be afraid to admit so. With regards to proposition one, I have to admit to having known many spinsters and gays whose closest companion is their cat. With regard to dog and horse owners, I would guess that their most prominent trait is an 'earthiness' that can often lead to having three pets, three children, three lovers or three divorces!
Over sixty years ago, following a bad traffic accident, I had the personal experience of not being able to walk between the ages of 11-14 years because of a damaged spine I incurred. A part of my recovery and dealing with resulting pain was down to learning meditational and relaxation disciplines. In later years, I became one of the leading Relaxation trainers in the country, and I made such methods an integral part of all the group work I was to do over twenty-five years as a Probation Officer and worker in 'Anger Management'.
During these years, I often worked with a number of wheelchair-bound persons of varying ages, and to cut a long story short, as a friend of mine frequently says to my great annoyance, the ones who proved better at mediating their pain and adopting a more adventurous and positive attitude towards life, were those who either got a dog as a pet and companion, and those who attended a centre in Norristhorpe, Liversedge where courses were held for disabled horse riders. I should also add, that the younger the immobile person was, the more inclined they were to bring the experience of a dog into their life or that of a horse/pony.
When I came across this picture below, I was so moved by the obvious affection present between dog and girl that i decided to either use at as a theme in a future story, or at the very least, make it one of my 'Thoughts for today'. Having got two novels on the go at the moment, I decided on the latter. This is what I can imagine the girl saying to her loyal and loving pet:
'While we have each other to hold on to Buster, we will never know loneliness or taste despair. We must seize the moment if we want to take from it, the happiness of the hour. Give me a big cuddle, Buster. Love and life beckons us now; not tomorrow. Let us not disappoint them and let ourselves down by sitting this experience out!'" William Forde:February 3rd, 2018.