The ongoing need for the "up" side

Lately, everywhere you go people are either "coughing" or talking about those who are "coughing". They're either worried about getting the "cough" or annoyed about "all the hype" about the "cough".

The media coverage of the "cough" has been successful in keeping us informed just enough to stir large numbers of the general public into a frenzy of fear and confusion.

What we all need is the ability to pull away, find some peace and quiet and take a deep breath of fresh air... without the fear of catching something.

So I took my hairy boy, Micah, for a walk in the subdivision after work today. I met a friend so that I could make it a hefty cardiovascular work out; a "walk and talk".

We have a nice little Wednesday route, down a few quiet streets, on a wooded pathway that borders the elementary school and then back on those quiet neighborhood streets and home again.

The school kids were on a recess break. The sounds of their laughter and shouts to each other were heartwarming and delightful. A couple of students recognized my hairy boy and called for him from their perch half way up the six-foot chain link fence.

They called and called but Micah didn't even turn his blonde head. He's pretty focused on his walks. The smorgasbord of smells and scents consume his mental capacity leaving nothing for polite social interaction. That and I think he might be on the verge of discovering his manliness. At the age of four he still lifts his skirts (he's a golden retriever) to leave his personal scent but today there was the slightest hint that he might actually be lifting a hind leg and aiming. Don't know if this is a sign of growth or just one of those "up" hill things.

The greatest thrill on my thirty-five minute journey, however, was not the prospect of Micah's development as an adult male canine but rather a surprising discovery on the downhill end of our walk.

Wouldn't you know "Mark" the inspiration to this blog was out in a next-door neighbor's driveway. Our eyes met and as always his smile was huge. He had a ready "Hey, how's it going?" for my friend and I.

"Doing great" I called back. "How 'bout you?"

As we had come up to the yard, I'd noticed Mark's wheelchair on the other side of a vehicle. Their driveway swooped down from the road, flattened in front of the house and then scooped back up again. Mark, balancing on his one leg was standing by the passenger's door, a couple of tools in his hand. "Just trying to help a friend" he said. "She locked her keys in her car."

"You got all the tools?" I ask and then think as if I have any if he doesn't.

"Yup, everything I need." and Mark goes back to concentrating on the task at hand.

"Wow." I said to my friend.

"Do you know who that is?" my friend asks.

"Yeh. He's the one I wrote about yesterday."

Isn't that just typical. Mark doing what he can to make someone's life a little easier. It doesn't really surprise me, knowing what I do of the man I call Mark, but I guess coming from the "stay-home-and-stay-healthy" mentality of the world these days Mark's good deed is refreshing to say the very least.

Once again, Mark proves the value of living on the "Up" side and it inspires me to pay-it-forward on his neighbor's behalf just to help spread the kindness around.