I am sharing a column to be published next month.
“Simple Things”
By
Rob
Claudio
I was doing some house
cleaning a few weeks ago, doing what I thought were typical mundane things
as one normally does on the weekend. When I got to my bedroom
and began to change my sheets, my Siamese cat Diego would not let me put on the
fitted sheet as he thought it was a game that we needed to play together.
Every time I attempted to spread the sheet, he would jump in the middle and
twirl while grabbing on to a piece of it. I went from saying "stop
that" to just throwing the entire sheet over him, as I laughed at how he
tangled himself up in all of it. He then
peered out of a corner every so often to see if our game was still going on,
while I continued to have a good chuckle. I sat there and just enjoyed the
funny moment which many cat owners I am sure can attest to, when their
furry friends do similar mischievous things. As I stepped outside with my
hamper of laundry on my next to-do item, I continued to think about all of the
moments we have in our lives when we are able to smile or laugh at what could
be deemed as uneventful for some, yet they may create harmonious
memories for others. Then my opportunities of grinning junctures did
not end with my own pet, as it continued at my brother's house where I had to
do some late afternoon nephew sitting for the family dog, a Miniature Pinscher
named AJ. There I was met by the loud bark coming out of the
smallest dog, with a personality ten times his size along with a big cuddly
heart. We went for the traditional walk and he tugged on the leash on an
ongoing basis, as if to tell me we needed to go faster. So much green
territory to cover in a short amount of time, as I finally got what he was
trying to impart to me through his quick sniffs and ongoing walking into the
trees and bushes, only to periodically look back at me as if to say,
"aren't you having fun?!" I got to sit at a park bench and just
take this other moment in afterwards, when I felt the appreciation of not only
being outside on a beautiful summer afternoon, however, I also had some fun
company that continued to make me laugh and smile through the bubbly
personality of this energetic pup. As I headed home and drove down some
hills after leaving my brother’s home, I got to a stop light where there is
another park and I could hear the laughing of children as they played and
chased each other in what looked like a sea cushion of wispy green
grass, through the screeching of kids having a great time. It was one
more opportunity to witness life's simple pleasures as I paid no ticket
entry for this type of amusement, because it all exists for free.
My final reflections as I made my way back to my house, were that although this
appeared to be a typical day filled with boring things to do, in my world, it
was filled with life energizing moments which I could have missed, if I wasn't
paying attention. So, the next time you go for a routine walk with the
family pet, or get the chance to sit in a park, perhaps go to the beach or just
take a moment at your own favorite spot, drink it all in! Remember
that life is filled with lots of little things like these, some would even
say simple things, which when viewed through a different lens can add the
right splash of energy and create memories in a perceived
typical ordinary day.
“I like simple things. Elastic waists, so I can
eat.”
-Barbra Streisand
