The Dog's Tale

Noted in Passing

Take Tom, for instance.

He arrives each morning shortly after me. Initially, it was he who took the controller from its place, velcroed on the molding, and set temperature, fans and television

He does thirty minutes on the sitting bicycle.

If you didn’t know he was seriously bitten by a neighbor dog, he would divulge that fact shortly to make sure you did.

It retrospect, it became remarkable, the number of chapters and sequelae of the attack dog tale…the reason and circumstances of Tom’s being accessible to the dog; the initial bite; the emergency room vignette; the surgery; the initial discomfort; the lawyers and dogbite advocate; the county court; the legal fate of the animal, whether it was to be labeled bad dog at all, for two years or forever; the fencing from which the dog escaped; the county regulations pertaining to fences, dogs, bites; the dog counseling therapy in Winchester...

The experience was so detailed, another patron suggested he run for county dogcatcher.

And Tom was not the only daily regular.

There was Gwen, and Daryl, and Fred, and Dick, and the admin staff, each with a story to tell for any who would listen...