Chapter 18
Every Three Seconds
I have an amazing Rottweiler named Neo. We’re best pals. He has a million nicknames: Bubba, Monkey, Cwaaazy-Boy, Nub-Wagger, Monkey-Junky, Klunker, Ugly-Bugly, and a few others that slip my mind at the moment.
I can be heard 20 times a day saying, “I love you Bubba (Monkey, Cwaaazy-Boy, Nub-Wagger).” There’s always a desire to express my love. Although he doesn’t exactly understand the meaning of the words “I love you,” he can certainly understand the energy that I’m projecting. In fact, Neo was just lying down in the hallway, and I said, “Hey Neo, I’m writing about how I always say, ‘I love you Cwaaazy-Boy.’” He jumped up, nub-wagging, and came into my office.
Neo and I have a unique ability to communicate. If you’re an animal lover, I’m sure you experience the same thing with your own pet. Beings don’t always need words to communicate. In fact, words are the least reliable form of communication. Body language always expresses a being’s true feelings.
If I’m at my desk, and Neo needs to use the bathroom, he’ll come sit in the spot to the left of my chair (with his ears perked up), until I notice him. If he’s hungry, he’ll do the same thing, except he’ll also put his paw on my chair’s armrest. I can always understand what message he’s trying to convey.
I love having the ability to communicate with Neo. I’ve come to realize that humans can learn a lot by observing nature and animals. Not to mention the great attributes a dog has, including: unquestioned loyalty, unconditional love, obedience, always happy to see you, patience, low-maintenance, etc.
In regards to learning from animals, check out the following story:
Neo and I usually go to my neighborhood lake at least once per day. Since I don’t have a big backyard, this gives him plenty of room to exercise. I’ll toss sticks into the lake and he’ll go fetch them. In the meantime, I’m able to enjoy reading, while communing with nature. It’s a win-win situation.
After we’re done, I’ll give the command to head back to the car. “Neo,” I’ll say, “Do you wanna go bye-bye?” Neo will take a second to process the command, his ears will perk up, and he’ll start heading in the direction of the car.
As I was following behind him, I noticed something of spiritual significance: Even though Neo was trotting along ahead of me, doing his own thing, he’d turn around about every three seconds to make sure I was still following.