About the time I began going around telling folks I was a writer, I took to heart something philosopher Francis Bacon once said: “A man would do well to carry a pencil and paper in his pocket, and write down thoughts of the moment. Those that come unsought for are commonly the most valuable, and should be secured, because they seldom return.”
So, I’m never without a notebook and pencil in my shirt pocket. As a result, I’ve become a diligent daily diarist, and have amassed boxes full of notebooks.
Recently I was reading my May 1988 diary. In that month, Domino, the best dog who ever chose me as his man, died. Dog and man were inseparable for twelve years.
Domino was a harlequin Great Dane, a gentle giant, almost three feet tall at the shoulders. He was a 220-pound, muscle-bound black and white giant who could put his giant paws on my shoulders and look over my head.
Domino was not only huge, but also smart. He had a big brain, and a bigger appetite. As a puppy, he ate several times a day, and only a large punch bowl held enough to sate his hunger.
Over two decades have passed, and still there’s an empty spot in my heart that he once filled. Every May, I record in my diary a few remembrances of our happy days as soul mates.
A few Mays ago, I entered comments made by folks, who like me, believe the Lord gave us dogs, not only to be loving companions, but also to be a most effective salve for aching hearts.
Will Rogers once said, “If there are no dogs in heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went.”
Andy Rooney opined, “The average dog is a nicer person than the average person.”
James Thurber said, “Among my beliefs about immortality, one is that certain dogs I have known will go to heaven … and very few persons.”
Josh Billings said, “A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than he loves himself.”
Photographer Roger Caras said, “Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole.”
Writer Milan Kundera said, “Dogs are our link to paradise. They don't know evil or jealousy or discontent. To sit with a dog on a hillside on a glorious afternoon is to be back in Eden, where doing nothing was not boring … it was peace.”
Like most folks, I've got a long list of reasons for wanting to pass through the Pearly Gates. Among them is reunification with loved ones, especially my mother, Miss Lena, not only because I miss her, but also because I miss her cooking.
But I also yearn to make it to Paradise because I’m hoping the Lord will reunite me with all the wonderful dogs that enriched my mortal passage.
I stand a good chance of making it there … if I’m as good a person as Domino thought.
Jimmy Reed is an Oxford, Mississippi resident, Ole Miss and Delta State University alumnus, Vietnam Era Army Veteran, former Mississippi Delta cotton farmer and ginner, author, and retired college teacher.
This story is a selection from Jimmy Reed’s latest book, entitled The Jaybird Tales.
Copies, including personalized autographs, can be reserved by notifying the author via email (.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)).
