I was walking Zen this morning and we were running around sniffing new things. He was driving me crazy and I was spending more of the walk fussing at him to stop jerking my arm around than actually just walking. In hindsight had I just walked, there would've probably been less fussing and less arm jerking.
As I was being irritated and griping, the dog suddenly stopped cold and perked up his ears. I looked up too, because it had him utterly rapt and I wanted to see what had him so transfixed.
The wind had picked up, and the thin layer of snow from last night that had blanketed everything was swirling up and drifting off in a sparkling cloud. It was absolutely beautiful, and we both stood there watching it for several seconds before Zen decided to jerk to the left and sniff at a decomposing birdhouse.
I let him, because he'd just taught me a very good lesson. He was in the moment, experiencing the wonder of the golf course and the world as if it were for the first time. Me, I was too busy focusing on how he should be walking to appreciate it. It was only with the sudden change in his behavior that I was able to do the same with my own. That allowed me to see the wonder of a winter moment and relax to enjoy the rest of the walk home.
The dog, only 5 months old, is already a better empty mind than I am, having tried to practice for the last 3 years!
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