Hello, friends. These sure are some strange times to be living in, are they not? But in times of great, global change, sometimes the most surprising things are those aspects of life that don’t change – when everything else around us is.
Take working with my sister, to create our book, ‘Philosophers’ Dogs’. Rosie is the most incredibly talented artist I know, and it’s one of the greatest honours to have her illustrations featuring in our book. But Rosie and I live on opposite sides of the UK; so we’re used to having chats and brainstorming ideas ‘virtually’. Professionally, then, not much has changed in terms of the way we work together this year. Yet things are obviously so much more different when it comes to family occasions and calendar-led ‘events’, like Easter and Birthdays. The obligatory family zoom sessions are a fun, if not slightly chaotic, substitute; but there really is nothing that can replace genuine human-to-human (or human-to-dog) interaction.
So what can we do to stay sane and grounded during these times (and by ‘these times’ I mean both family interactions and the current global pandemic). Well, it may seem obvious, but for me, one helpful thing to do is to continue spreading THE TRUTH about the canine philosophers we owe so much to. In fact, in these sometimes difficult times, it can be pretty helpful to channel the philosophical mantras of stoic dogs like Barkus Aurelius. And so here are a few of his (very good, oh yes they are, oh yes they are) quotes below for you to appreciate (now in original form with all human alterations removed):
Dwell on the beauty of life. Watch out for squirrels, and see yourself chasing after them.
The happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your walkies.
If you are distressed by anything external, like the sound of an approaching postman, the pain is not due to the thing itself, but to your estimate of it; and this you have the power to revoke at any moment.
Very little is needed to make you wag your tail; it is all within yourself in your way of thinking.
Samuel Dodson 