Currently over 11,000 miles away and probably sleeping as she so often does, my dog, Jess, is the thing that I miss most in this whole world.
I used to really dislike her as a puppy. She was wild, she was annoying and when we used to play around she'd ruin any garment of clothing she could get her teeth into. But the older she got, the older I got – and we both changed. I was 16 when my dog came into my house as an 8 week old puppy and over the past 12 years it feels like we have both matured together. I was a kid, I wasn't an angry teenager, but I had my grumpy days and for the first time in my life I was starting to think for myself. I began learning to question authority, whether from teachers, police or religion and more than that I began to question society and it's rules. Over the years I have chilled out; I still question authority and if abused I will pull anyone up on it and I still very much like to speak my opinion and I find that my dog has done the exact same thing.
I used to have staring contests with my Jess. I'd stare into her eyes with great intent as she would casually glance into mine before, occasionally, looking around the room out of boredom and I'd always question what was going through her mind. How can you not envy a creature that holds no grudges; that still shows you love if you just hurt it by accident; that always wants to be by your side having some part of their body make contact with some part of your body; and that always remains you best friend even if you're pissed off with the world and everything in it.
I wonder what my dog thinks when she stands outside gazing off into the distance: does she have logical thoughts; can she solve intricate conundrums and arguments; does her superior sense of smell tell her things about this world that we never thought possible; are the physics of the earth, which we struggle to get our heads around, something that is second nature to her; does she have extra senses which answer questions that we have long since pondered about life and that as we know it. It would make sense that only an animal so worldly and so knowledgeable would be so content with sleeping lots and generally walking by the side of your best friend doing nothing all day.
They say simple things please simple minds, but maybe the simple minds are too busy over obsessing with the complex things in life to stand and appreciate the simple things. I maintain that the complex mind understands the complex things in life and understands it's the simple things in life that gives you pleasure, therefore hold the simple things closest to them.
Maybe that's why Jess enjoys going for walks so much; why she rejoices every time we come back into the house, regardless of whether we've been away 5 minutes or 5 hours; maybe it's why she appreciates something as simple as making physical contact with the ones you love; and maybe that's why she doesn't hold grudges if I lock her out of the room, forget that she's outside or step on her tail...because at the end of the day, these are all just trivial issues.
We look down on all other creatures, as if we are the superior ones, but I've had my dog for 12 years now and if you ask me, she's got this life down to a tee. Imagine what we'd discover if only we stopped obsessing about the superficial, petty things in life and just concentrated on the things that matter: the ones we love...our friends and family.
All this came about, simply because, I miss Jess.
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