Sarge and Bailey
Sep. 15th, 2024 08:41 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ndrosenAt the farmers’ market this morning, I met old acquaintances: a younger woman, her father, and their hounds, Sarge and Bailey. Sarge is a beagle, getting old, and the veteran of two surgeries for oral cancer, but I am assured that he still runs around. Bailey is a longer legged hound of some sort, and reasonably calm and happy these days, although she was very skittish when I first met her. I petted both of them this morning; Bailey seemed to be more into sniffing my hand than into getting petted, but when I petted Sarge, that made her jealous, and she got closer to me.
Regarding the graying Sarge, I commented that we all get older, and asked the woman to guess my age. She demurred, but then guessed forty-five. I told her that I’m fifty-nine, and the father said that he was also fifty-nine. He certainly looks older than I do, and despite some gray in my hair, I look younger than my years; nonetheless, time passes, I notice changes in my body, and have no reason to believe that death will make an exception for me. For now, however, I can eat, walk miles, listen to music, and pet beagles; and I hope that I am doing some good in the world.
Regarding the graying Sarge, I commented that we all get older, and asked the woman to guess my age. She demurred, but then guessed forty-five. I told her that I’m fifty-nine, and the father said that he was also fifty-nine. He certainly looks older than I do, and despite some gray in my hair, I look younger than my years; nonetheless, time passes, I notice changes in my body, and have no reason to believe that death will make an exception for me. For now, however, I can eat, walk miles, listen to music, and pet beagles; and I hope that I am doing some good in the world.
