“His pull on the leash was strong.  So strong, that I could feel something extra, a tug up my arm and into my heart.  It caused me to think of something previously unthought of.”

Too Much Your Own

It was a bright, somewhat cool, and breezy Sunday morning.  I was out with Harry Pupper, walking one of our regular routes across rolling hills, around flowing streams, over grass and through mature trees.  He was exhilarated, darting from side to side, from one edge of the path to the other, happily zipping with his nose to the grass, tugging.  His pull on the leash was strong.  So strong, that I could feel something extra, a tug up my arm and into my heart.  It caused me to think of something previously unthought of.

As soon as the forbidden thought crossed my mind I looked around.  There was not one person in sight.  So, I bent over, asked him to come to me, and released the leash from his harness.  He flew off!

I watched as the speed in his legs allowed him to float across the ground.  The speed of his zigs and zags increased as he ran free.  He was smiling!

I was also smiling.  His frolic was joyous to behold.  It seemed as if we were more deeply connected.  With all his running, with all his new-found freedom, he was still watching me.  So, I tested our connection.

Harry ran to the right, just up a little rise.  I walked to the left, listening.  Expecting.

Within a couple of seconds, I heard him coming toward me like a freight train!  I laughed out loud as he ran in huge circles around me; as if he had herded me into his control.  Then, he stopped.  He was tired.  His tongue lolled outside of his open, panting mouth and I asked him to come to me.

I connected his leash back to his harness and thought of Oliver Burkeman’s words, “You can grasp the truth that power over your time isn’t something best horded entirely for yourself: that your time can be too much your own.”

Our time is meant to be shared with the others around us.  Not just our time, but our talents and gifts as well.  Yet, the sharing of all three, by letting ourselves be free from our own self-connected leashes, can introduce us to some of our most frightening moments.  My friend Aubrey Patterson confessed this very thing to me earlier in the week while having dinner with her husband Aaron and me.

“One of the scariest things I’ve ever done was to run for city council!  But, I wanted to get to give more to the people of our city and learn from those we live with.  I’m more than just a professional teacher.  I’m a learner as well and I’m just taking one step after another, in faith.” She said as we discussed her current campaign for the state legislature.  Then, her husband Aaron followed her comments with his own words.

“I thought of her life long experience and education.  It allowed me to see that she has been preparing for this her whole life!”

“Your time isn’t something best horded entirely for yourself: that your time can be too much your own.” Oliver Burkeman’s words echoed in my mind again.  

Perhaps you and I have also been prepared, through our life’s long experience and education, to connect more deeply to others as well, by offering our time, talents and gifts freely, unfettered by the binding leash of our own fear of the unknown.  If so, we may also desire to follow the example of the short-legged dog, Harry Pupper.

Once, the forbidden thought of releasing the latch of Harry’s leash crossed my mind and I released the clasp from his harness.  He flew!

I witnessed the speed of his legs allow him to fly across the ground.  The quickness of his zigs and zags increased as he ran free.  He was smiling!  We were smiling.  His frolic was joyous to behold.  And, we became more deeply connected than ever before.  

Such freedom, joy and connection with others can only be experienced when we allow ourselves to take one step at a time, in faith, away from the leash holding us to fear.

Sometimes, we can be too much our own.