Wish I Never Walked the Dog
I wish I never walked the dog. It’s my way of saying, I wish we never met that warmish day in spring at the park. I wish I didn’t have the guts to step out of my comfort zone and approach him. Granted I was initially lured in by the red slackline, but I can’t deny the two were a sight for sore eyes. Their built physiques, tatoos, and casually compy style.
The conformation-trained papillon knew our route and we were on our way home when something in my gut pulled me close, almost like an incessant finger tapping on my shoulder to turn around- Go talk to the slackline guys.
I hadn’t made a friend in over a year. It was March of 2021 a year after the shutdown of the states due to Covid-19, and I was begrudgingly struggling through my depression and trauma. I wasn’t special- some people had experienced worse things. Anyway, back to my story. I knew I had to make any effort- this was my window afterall. Having slacklined in college I knew what it was but as the nerves built up, all I could muster was, “ Hey! ... Is this a slackline?” The guy with his back facing me turned around to answer, “ Yeah.”
I had just happened to pass two guys my age and after having nearly zero interactions with friends in the last 12 months I was desperate for the connection. Let alone the opportunity to revisit one of my favorite past-times. I needed to do something bold in order to get out of the rut I had been in the last year. I wouldn’t settle for the voice in my head that told me to run away and continue being shy and quiet. I wouldn’t settle for his one-worded response.
Again, I got real bold this time and after what felt like 10 minutes of silence (really only 30 seconds), I asked, “ Can I try?”...