Happy Herman's Hideaway

Hey there, my San Saba loves, and how are you? I have said many times how strange and different my mom is; well, I believe I discovered the reason this week. She had to do a Tele-Med visit with Dr. Whiting, and after their conversation she had a wistful look on her face and says to me… “Herman, when I was a child, doctors came to our house for visits. They figured if you were sick, the best place for you to be seen was in your own home. I remember Dr. Anderson standing at my bedroom door throwing bubble gum at me…it was funny! He usually did that after giving me a shot. Our world has changed so.”

I looked at mom in disbelief! Doctors actually visiting a patient in their house? Wow, oh wow! I asked mom what other strange things happened. Mom smiled and said… “Our teachers also used to come to our house to speak to our parents, you know, make home visits. Our world was so personal, so intimate, real and caring. I can still picture my third grade teacher, Mrs. Petite, my mom and me sitting in the our living room, and the very kind things Mrs. Petite said about my personality and what she said I needed to do to improve my grades.” I had tears in my eyes, and I am not even sure why…felt as if I had lost something this dachshund never possessed. I went to lie in my bed for a time, to ponder mom’s words, and then it dawned on me…the world we live in now has become impersonal, automatic, disconnected and distant. As such a loving dachshund, those are all the things I wish it would not be.

Before all this virus stuff, I really did my best to bridge the gap between stranger and friend. Yep, if I saw a human, dog, cat, goat, sheep or any living thing, I would welcome it with loving Herman happiness! I have only met one person in my life who hated me, and it was a distant relative at a Christmas party several years ago. That teenage girl acted as if I would make a nice hair hat! Was I upset? Nope. You see, sour attitudes are not my problem but the burden of those who carry them. Heck, I once met a woman at a store who told mom she didn’t like dachshunds, but if she could find one like me, she would get one right away...and another who said she had never wanted a dog in her life until she met me!

We can never reverse gears on life nor would we ever want to. Progress is a good thing, but I do think humans need to rethink what true success is. If you amass a bunch of ‘things’ and yet have nothing inside to give, what you own, any substance, any depth, then what do you really have other than a house full of meaninglessness? Children today know more about designer clothes, movie stars and pop stars than they do about who they are or want to be. They are so busy emulating images of humans or what their parents wish them to be…they become completely lost to who they really are.

Have you been looking for my soap box, dear ones? Heck, this week I was standing on the washing machine typing! Sorry, I get in these moods at times…just blame cabin fever. I love you and hope you have a great week until we speak again. I care so very much, and thank you for being!