From the time Sparky was born until he was almost three, he was either running or sleeping. He belonged to my best friend Tony and his wife at the time and whenever friends would get together I would think to myself, "That dog, what a hellion, I'm glad he's not my problem." Two years later, Tony got divorced and I moved in with him as a roommate to help with the mortgage and just be there for him. On the day I moved in Sparky seemed excited having me there and showed his affection by tearing up a few of my things. I had raised two large breed dogs before and knew that by about three is when they'd start calming down. A friend told me that Sparky would never change his unruly behavior. I bet him I could have him trained and obedient in six months. He said he'd give me a year and bet it still couldn't be done. It took three months. Since then Sparky and I have been inseparable. I once called him my "step-dog" because he really belonged to Tony, but 4 years ago when he told me he was getting married and selling the house, I joked as I told him "congratulations on the marriage, but I'll be taking Sparky." (after all he was marrying an old girlfriend of mine but I'll never go on record as saying that I got the better deal) Tony knew this to be true and said "Ahh, he'll be better off with you anyway." I replied by saying "No, I'd be better off with him." Since then Sparky has been a neighborhood celebrity wherever we've lived, making friends on every street. As a result of our walking I've met so many wonderful people and have really learned to appreciate the simple pleasures of this world that can only be found on a neighborhood walk. This year Sparky turned ten and has begun to slow down a bit. This year also marked us passing the six thousand mile mark in our walks together. That is like walking from Royal Oak, Michigan to Dallas Texas six times! He's also an unpaid employee of the Grand Slam Baseball Training Center at the end of my street. We go there after hours and he finds all the balls that get through the fence throughout the day. The owner loves it and has told me he wants a photo for their Wall of Fame inside the center. Sparky also comes to work with me a couple days a week. I work with the elderly and they love having him around and even line up outside my office on the days they know he is here. It's amazing when I sit and talk to them how vividly they can remember in detail their dog when they were young. One woman was telling me about her dog Hoover, named not after the vacuum, but after the President at the time. Another, told me the story of when Woodrow Wilson was elected President her family had just brought home a puppy that they named Woody. Some of them can't remember what they had for breakfast, but those who were "dog people" have a special place in their heart and mind that only a dog can fill. I have been twice blessed to have a dog like Sparky and all of us who have endured the pain of losing an animal know that the pain eventually passes, but fortunately the memories remain. There comes a time when their body can no longer contain their spirit but sometimes we hang on to them too long at the end of their lives for us and not for them. But those of us that have had dogs know that we have lived fuller, more meaningful lives as a result of having them in it. Sparky has had a marked impact on many peoples lives, from the kids down the street that follow him like he's the Pied Piper, to my 85 year old friend Ruth, who brings him carrots every Friday and tells me about her dog Goldie and the sixteen and a half years of joy that he brought her. Sometimes Sparky gets selective hearing and snubs me, oddly proving that he's only human. He may not be the most perfect dog in the world, but he's perfect for me. July 31, 2007 update to this story - Peter Wurdock has just published his first book titled, "Between the Cottages". Peter wrote me the following update: "Sparky is no longer with me, as he died last summer, but he is remembered fondly in my book, as he was with me when I took nearly every photo in it. I also tell a story about him that is integral to capturing the spirit of the area about which the book was written." Both a writer and a photographer, Peter provides a personal and enduring look at vacation life in southeastern Wisconsin. Although his photographs and words warmly detail this specific place in America's Heartland, Wurdock arrives at small universal conclusions about what makes life in the slow lane worth living.
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