Blind Enthusiasm

Our Izzy, resting after a big, one hour walk!


 

The thread of my life these days is motion, motion, motion.  We had to create a huge forward motion to leave our home of 17 years and move to a new state and start a new life with strangeness and challenge and all the wonderful "amenities" of starting over. That motion was like wading waste deep through a river of molasses. 

Upon arrival I have been in constant motion.  Unpacking, finding Walmart and Target, finding the vet's office, and where the heck to wash my car. It has been a whirlwind of motion.  Much like an Arkansas tornado that starts with brooding darkness and creates power from its own changing temperature, unstable inside but cutting a wide path.

But the best motion of my life right now is the doggie doo motion.  We have to walk our dogs every day now that we are apartment dwellers or risk having some very poor living conditions.  There is not one dog out there on the planet who enjoys a walk more than our sweet Izzabella.  She is never too tired to run, never too bored to explore, and never complains of aches and pains, even though in dog years she has surpassed her humans. 

She is the most enthusiastic walker I have ever seen.  You would never guess that Izzy is about 80% blind.  She can detect lights and darks and does a great job of remembering her surroundings at home but that is all. We have painfully watched as she learned the new apartment, including her moments of confusion where she stands, head down not knowing which way to go for long stretches of time. 

But take her out on the open trail and she never hesitates to run ahead and clear the path of those pesky bikers, slow moving strollers and viscous squirrels. She has never stopped anticipating each outdoor opportunity with zeal and joy. 

I want my motion to be like Izzy's.  Joyous, zealous and full of adventure no matter what obstacles I face.  I choose to keep my spirits high with enthusiasm and tackle this new regime with all the energy I can muster.  Walking behind a blind dog pulling at the leash, how could I give any less?

Newton had many profound theories and a couple of those I remember from my learning days (I'm sure there are many more).  He discovered:

A body in motion tends to stay in motion. A body at rest tends to stay at rest. 

&

To every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.

These are my paraphrases but to me this means, if I want to have a life of motion, I must keep moving and if I will keep moving each step will change who I am in equal proportion.  Now that is good stuff in my book and if I add Izzy's blind enthusiasm I think I have a life plan I can live with. 

That's all!  Thanks y'all!