Day 1071
The Goldens love to sit on the front porch and watch the world go by. The neighborhood gang just walked by on their way home from Lincoln. Squirrels hop from tree to tree and the track team is practicing down at the field. The pups take a mild interest, sniff and then resume their slumber. However, if a dog DARES to saunter by, they all react as though the intruder is there to threaten our very lives!
Humans aren’t that different. We can sit out on our porch chairs and wave to the masses who parade by. We greet neighbors, admire cars and discuss all of the activity within our sight. It is all beautiful and pastoral until something out-of-the-ordinary occurs. It might be a car (with tinted windows) that parks in front of the house for a length of time. It could be a stranger who walks by without answering our greeting. It might even be a plane that seems to be flying too low over the house. Whatever puts us on a higher alert, there must be a reason.
Now, there have been times when listening to that inner voice keeps us safe. Other times, we are on edge because we experience something unexpected. Perhaps, we have been watching too many news reports or reading more than our share of Facebook posts. Whatever the cause, there are times when you simply have a gut feeling and follow your instincts…and other times you follow a different voice.
Long ago, I was home in The Big White House all by myself. Suddenly, there was a frantic pounding, accompanied by yelling, at the front door. Instinct told me to stay hidden and hope the person left, but something told me I needed to move forward and open the door.
It took me a minute or two to make the decision, so when I opened the door, there stood a man in full panic mode. He told me his car was on fire and he needed to call the fire department. As I weighed the pros and cons of that plan, I noticed flames out in front of the house. I beckoned him in and suddenly, the car exploded! Had the timing been shifted one way or the other, it might have ended differently!
I still try to make safe decisions, whether on the front porch or not. Most of the time, “stranger danger” is overrated, but I still try to make safe decisions. After all, if someone approached the front porch with nefarious intentions, they just might be licked to death by four Goldens!!!
