For centuries, humans have relied on animals for food and clothing. Bison were central to Native American culture, because of the vital resources they provided. Whitetail deer might put food on the table of a Montana family for an entire year. But dogs... well... dogs are different.
Even if I was stranded in the wilderness, I don't think I could eat my dog, Dolce Vita Evans. (Or if I did, I would have already come to terms with sacrificing my human travelling companion.) I wouldn't wear him as a coat. He doesn't help me plough a field. What does Dolce Vita Evans do? He sleeps a lot. I take him on walks. I feed him. (He is starting to remind me of a boyfriend I once had.) Let's face it, dogs are not in our lives, because they are particularly useful.
We have dogs in our lives, because they enhance our mundane, everyday experiences. When Dolce sleeps, sometimes he sticks his legs up in the air and kind of snores a little. You can't help but chuckle. When he goes to pee on something, it is the most acrobatic, artistic thing you've ever seen. You would think he was trying out for Swan Lake. He greets me at the door when I come home. He lets me know when there is someone else coming to the door. He isn't useful like other animals; he is irreplaceable like the perfect human who never criticizes you, but is just as excited to see you when you have been gone for an hour as when you've been gone for a week.
I can't imagine my life without Dolce Vita Evans, as I know many of my friends can't imagine their lives without their dogs. They are like our children. Dolce and I just returned from a walk on a beautiful, crisp fall day. He was smiling the whole way. And in turn, so was I.
A few pics from the early 2000's.
