Guess I spoke too soon. Not that I've ever been known to do that.....or to jump to conclusions in order to wrap my arms around what I can't explain. Seems the wayward dog I was grieving has returned.....at least for awhile. In my need to jump to a conclusion, Sharmin, at the age of 14, was too old to survive in the wild and thus was lying dead somewhere in the woods. Guess I was wrong. And since I prefer tidy endings, it's a cruel joke that the dog can't talk to tell me the details of her big adventure. Luckily for me I found an interview of her in the Doggie Daily Chew magazine. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
Reporter: So what made you decide to run away and then return.
Sharmin: Actually I never went anywhere.
Reporter: But I don't understand, your owners actively searched for you for days, calling, driving around, walking the property and talking to neighbors. They even put up "MOST WANTED" posters. But it was as if you disappeared into thin air.
Sharmin: Really? I didn't see or hear anything......but then again, my eyesight and hearing aren't what they used to be. All I can remember are rabbits.....or were they squirrels.....and how much fun chasing them were......ah freedom......What was the question again?
Reporter: Where have you been for the last 2.5 weeks?
Sharmin: Uhhhhh......I remember being bored lying on the porch and deciding to go chase something (she pauses, a puzzled look crossing her snout)......next thing I remember I was inside an alien spaceship and they were feeding me and petting me and treating me really nice.
Reporter: That's a joke right?
Sharmin: Uhhhhhh, what's a joke?
Reporter: The aliens? (Another puzzled expression crosses the dog's face.)
Sharmin: I'm 14 years old.....that's 98 in human years.....what do you think?
Reporter: Okay, let's move on to something you do know. Is there anything you'd like to say to your previous owner, Sarah, about your experience.
Sharmin: Who?
Reporter: Sarah
Sharmin: Uhhhh......is she the one from Denver that brought me here?
Reporter: Yes.
Sharmin: Tell her thanks...this is the best retirement home in the world. I love being wild again. I was wild when the Pound captured me 13 years ago in New Mexico and I was wild when I lived in the mountains of Colorado for that one glorious summer. I've been daydreaming for years of being wild and free again. Why do you think I used to jump the fence and disappear in my younger days? I loved our week long vacations in the mountains when I could run like the wind and chase bears. Now I have the best of both worlds......the woods and pond all day......and a nice house with lots of food and someone to pet me whenever I want.
Reporter: So let's get back to where you were for 2.5 weeks.
Sharmin: Uhhhhh......I haven't got a clue....besides that's in my past. I'm a dog and I live in the moment. I wasn't scared or worried or angry or sad or any of those strange emotions humans spend way too much time obsessing on. My biggest concern each moment was about which critter I was going to chase next and where the best spot to sun was, and if it was time to take a dip in the pond or not.
Reporter: Sounds pretty wonderful to me (a sigh escapes from the expertly groomed collie)......Do you have any finally words of wisdom for your adoring fans?
Sharmin: Yes. (smile/pant) It truly is a dog's life (lick).
My great-grandfather, Ernest Biggs, a theologian and PhD in Economics once escaped from his nursing home. When he was found he explained he was climbing the hills behind his residence to find God. He died in the late 70's and was sure his whole life he would witness the second coming of Jesus.
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