Benefits of Being a DogWalker

i've been putting off writing this cause i just didn't want to do it.
not sure why but something in me resists self-helpishness...not because i don't believe in it...helping one's self...but because it suggests choosing a direction and it's just not in me to stick to one.

my personal journey has been a little floppy and loose, as opposed to tight and intentional.  more wayward than focused.   i just sort of get a general idea about a thing and my process, after idea formation, is to see what happens.  like when i was a kid, i wanted to be a ballerina/veterinarian/social worker.  after i had become wife and mother, after i'd taught school, sold real estate, and had a few other occupations, i got the degree and went into social work.  my progress was interrupted by a storm with furious rain and terrible lightening that snapped and tore the sky.  my little boat was tossed.  when the waters calmed, i started over with alpaca ranching, antiques dealing and non-profit management.  seems like the map of my life, at any one point in time, would not have indicated i'd wind up happy in the company of strays, like myself.

i can't tell you how to fix things in your life.  flopping around only works for some folks.  but i can tell you a few things that are good about dog walkin' at the shelter...why i keep going back.  why you might want to give it a try.

1. fresh air and exercise.  depending on your pace and the personal trainer on the other end of the leash, it can provide a cardio workout or weight resistance.  you'll engage your core and build endurance.  it's not quite yoga but there's some bending...and some breath control...during the Downward-to-pick-up-Dog-poo sequence.

2. social networking.  not only will you make tons of cold-nosed furry friends, you will meet other two-leggeds who care enough about dogs to brave the heat on their behalf.  both types will be a comfort when times are bad.

3.  soul restoration.  you're doing something kind for a population whose struggles are mostly invisible to the rest of the world...making life better for one dog at a time.  it will give you a perspective whereby your own blessings become more apparent - and nothing restores the soul like feeling grateful.

4. you will inevitably find your zen master - the one who teaches you what you thought you knew - if you're into that sort of thing.

5.  better sleep.  from all the air and the breathing it and the giving of yourself.

6.  lots of grateful kisses.  which are worth more than you might imagine.