Dog sculpture on a downtown sidewalk

Woof!
London, ON
October 2019
This photo originally shared on Instagram

It isn't often that you come across a copper-clad, full-relief sculpture of an obviously well-behaved, permanently inanimate dog, sitting pretty in front of a downtown restaurant.

So when you do, the only real choice you have is to shoot a picture of the absurd-yet-delightful snippet of urban life.

I use that word, life, deliberately. It isn't just a biological thing. It's all the little elements of the world around us that make us stop and go, "Huh?" Or just stop and say nothing. Silence is a thing, too.

Life as we know it is far more than the big obvious stuff we cross paths with every day. It isn't just partners, colleagues, jobs, teachers, commutes, bills, schedules, and all the other ingredients of modern existence - though all those things are, of course, pivotal to us all.

But like soft winds that tickle your ear on an otherwise still early morning walk, there's a whole other or alternate universe of more subtle experiences around us that can shape and color our existence more than we'll likely ever know.

Like this dog.

But you have to be looking for them. Or at least be open to appreciating them when you find them. So many of us just keep going, unmoved, and I find that a little sad, like a lost opportunity.

I often use the #lifeinthemargins hashtag when I post to social media. I do so because that's how - or more precisely, where - I tend to lead mine, and in doing so I've discovered this life thing can be more fun than the daily slog might suggest. That even when you're in the midst of a seemingly endless grind, there's room for the wonder of good dogs that sit in the sun, and the places around us that value them - and life - enough to share them with us.

It's the difference between life and life well lived, and I hope you, too, can find your own version of the copper dog soon.

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