Chasing, or Being Chased

Ace and I were just out on our evening walk. We walked up the big hill behind our house (called Prospect Hill, which has some serious historical significance you can read about, including the fact that the first American flag flew here). As we came around the monument at the top, we saw a couple of lovely families, but not a dog in sight (if you don't already know this about Ace, he's not always the best at meeting new dogs. Sometimes he snaps and growls, but it's just because he doesn't know proper greeting etiquette. We're working on it. :) ). I was relieved because we'd had an adventurous run this morning, including Ace tripping me twice, ending up on opposite sides of a telephone pole and a street sign, and other general issues encountered when first learning how to run in the city.

So, we were up on top of the hill, no dog in sight. Suddenly a dog jumps out of a baby carriage (?!?!) and runs toward Ace and I. In that 6 seconds, I tell the owner, "Um. He's not so good at meeting new dogs, but he's quite nice." This little fella comes bowling at us and just starts running laps around Ace. Ace starts barking and getting all wound up in his leash and the little guy darts away. The owner and her son keep yelling, "Zorro! Zorro...come here." Zorro's circles keep getting bigger and bigger, keeping true to his name (zorro in Spanish means fox, or the phrase 'es zorro viejo' refers to one who knows all the tricks). This little guy is loving his life and being chased by his owners is the greatest experience of his life.

Then, it came back to me. Ace's trainer once told me, "Never chase your dog. That is a game you do not want to teach him. If he will not come back to you, turn and run the other way. He has a chasing instinct and will likely follow." So, I called out to the family, "Try calling his name and running the other way." They just laughed and chased after their dog.

Ace and I sauntered off to our own path, down the hill, and home. I couldn't help but wonder if the literal meaning of my statement had fallen on deaf ears, but perhaps more importantly if I had missed the metaphorical meaning of "running the other way" in my own life. Maybe in life we lose the finer, wilder, more natural moments when we choose to pursue a specific, contrived action, object, or emotion. Maybe sometimes we just need to turn and run in pursuit of our own horizons and trust that what we love will follow. Maybe sometimes we should give up the chase.