- I was in between. Fiercely independent, had money saved up, and some time before I went west.
- My roommate called. Someone found a runaway dog. Dominoe.
- Named her after the damsel in Sharky's Machine.
- Malnourished, skittish, afraid of a raised hand.
- We walked into the woods, she always following a few yards away, my buddy.
- One day we drove farther and walked in the autumn leaves.
- Met an old friend. We chatted about 15 minutes, and I turned around.
- She was GONE. I was hours running up and down the trail, crying out her name. I was worthless. I could take care of myself, but no one else, worthless.
- Darkness. I would camp out, return the next day. I would do that every day unti I found her. Every day.
- I cried back to the car... and there she was, waiting for me.
- My awareness became a circle of responsibility of more than just myself.
- We drove across the country...
- ...we had adventures
- We found new exciting lands.
- We looked around...
- We made a home in Arizona.
- We parted permanently, but I never forgot what I learned that day in the woods.
- Dominoe.
