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Blog Entry 9 of 9 The Walking Blues
Castle Rock, Colorado is a collision of many strange cultures in the twilit crossroads of the American dream turned nightmare and the old west. At first glance, this quaint little town-gone-city may seem harmless or mundane. Its landscape of wind-born mesas and ridges rises above the western end of the Great Plains like a prologue to the Rocky Mountains, which loom in the west as a reminder of earth's true power over humankind. But we glorified apes make a run at mother nature anyway--like a suburban soccer mom in an SUV heading on a crash course toward a drugstore cowboy driving a diesel pickup the other way (which neither notices because they're on their cell phones). Imagine a guy walking past one of the neon-green pedestrian signs they put in the middle of the crosswalks around town while the scenario written above takes place. He looks past contemporary life's tragedies because he's found something wonderful and beatific in putting one foot in front of the other. He's dressed in hiking boots, shorts, and a T-shirt colored with earth tones. At the last second, this guy sees this head-on collision of cars and cultures coming his way. Will he be crushed between the bumpers of the rich suburbanites, ranchers, and townees of Castle Rock? Or can he jump out of the way in time to experience all the sights, smells, and sounds the underbelly of this town has to offer? That guy is me. This is my blog.

Blog Url: http://denver.yourhub.com/~TheWalkingBlues

People and the monsters who own them
Contributed by: James Freeman   on 9/11/2008

It's morning. The sun ascends in the east as you step out your door. The shadows in the streets shrink slowly and birds sing the morning gossip to one another. Dew from rain the night before evaporates in the warming air. You breathe deeply. Your muscles loosen with each stride along the sidewalk--until a woman holding three empty leashes walks by.

A cacophony of barking causes you to freak out and swallow your gum. You spin around to see Cerberus, the three-headed dog of Greek myth, rushing toward you. No. Wait. Those are three separate mutts snapping at your lower extremities. It's too late to run. These feral beasts are on you before you can shriek.

Too often, I've faced vicious or obnoxious dogs when I walk the streets. As these four-legged fiends snarl and yap, their owners usually say something like, "Oh he
won't hurt you." Then they giggle at their pet's "playful" behavior. I wonder if they'd still chuckle while their pooch made a drumstick of my leg. Thank God my brain capacity is just shy of a Chihuahuas. Otherwise, I wouldn't know how to deal with these monsters by holding my ground.

Most dogs will make friends with just about anyone if their owners aren't around. Stray and refugee pooches often choose me as their temporary caretaker when they loose their way. Wagging their tail, they follow me around until I find their master or the Animal Control truck. I see those same dogs charge unwary walkers, who show a little too much fear. But canines can't be blamed for their bad behavior most of the time.

Dogs are generally good...people. Masters make their mutts into monsters through neglect, bad training, or a simple lack of common courtesy. It's never a comfortable situation when someone's Great Dane jumps on you and sniffs your equipment. A pup maybe friendly, but no one likes a wet nose between their legs--especially when it's attached to a set of fanged jaws. Having your skin raked by claws ain't so grand either. If you care enough, you can prevent your dog from attacking or annoying people by following the guidelines below:

1. Only get a dog if you have time to train it.
2. Keep your canine securely fenced when you can't watch it.
3. Keep it on a leash while walking.
4. Understand that your yapping ankle-biter or colossal canine may not be cute to
other people.
5. Discipline your innocent little beast when it lunges at pedestrians.
6. Bring a bag to clean your pup's presents up.
7. Stop your dog from making a cheap date of innocent bystanders' legs.

We walking wanderers Thank You.



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Showing 1-2 of 2 comments
Submitted By: Tim Miller
posted on 9/15/2008 @ 10:52:41 AM
(Not Rated)
You should go to your local library and check out some books on tolerance buddy.
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Submitted By: Michael Rule
posted on 9/13/2008 @ 7:24:56 AM
Rated Blog Entry
Ah yes, the curse of the dog. We run into them constantly while out doing work. As you say, most of them are pretty good. Most of them are actually pretty friendly. I like your list, but good luck getting anyone that actually should follow it to listen. Want to hear dog stories? Talk to a UPS driver....
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Showing 1-2 of 2 comments
CONTRIBUTOR INFORMATION

James Freeman

Castle Rock , CO

James Freeman has posted 9 blog entries and 7 comments since joining on 6/12/2008. James Freeman 's average blog rating is 5.
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