She has a cute yellow lab who loves to run and fetch and swim and cock his head to the side when she talks to him, so that he can give her his undivided canine attention. He is loyal to her, always available when she needs him, does whatever she asks, and best of all, he is not stuck on himself and refuses to look at himself in the mirror.  Oh yes, and he never stays out late running around with the other dogs and he will bite the hell out of anyone who tries to hurt her.

His name is Ralph and she loves him.

She loves to run outside with him, and her long ballerina legs seem to stride effortlessly on the sidewalks of the neighborhood, barely touching the ground, and thankfully, Ralph has over the years, had the endurance to stay with her for miles of running. But as he has aged, she needs to stop more often for him to catch his breath, and she gives him a drink of water from her camelback then walk for a while so Ralph can do his thing. What she loves is the confidence Ralph gives her, and that allows her to run most anywhere, even if it is approaching dark because he is there to protect her.

She moved in to the neighborhood a few months ago, and it wasn’t long before the neighborhood men noticed this ethereal phenomenon, and took note that she went out with Ralph around six in the morning, sometimes later on Saturdays, even it if is snowing or raining.  She doesn’t care, in fact, enjoys getting wet when exercising with Ralph. Then, if she gets home in time, she will make a point of taking Ralph out again, hopefully before dark, and the men drive home from work and stare again, looking at the time, and etching it in their memories, or if their brains can’t handle it, write it on their hands.

She likes to wear athletic tights and a form-fitting sweater and perhaps a cute baseball cap in the cooler months, and short silky shorts in the summer, which of course allows her lean legs with garlic-cloved calves to freely move like the whispering wind.  If she is just walking however, she will wear jeans, and of course, they are tight fitting, as if molded to her lissome, feminine form.  She can’t help it, but her walk is naturally a classic runway walk that boldly announces the rhythmic motion of her merciless hips.  Ralph doesn’t notice this, but if the neighbor men are walking behind her, they bask in the glory of this feminine vision, and then sometimes face the danger of becoming hypnotized by her rhythmic motion, and not infrequently will fall down on the street, sometimes close to the storm sewer, and their water bottles fly into the sewer hole as they lay helplessly on the sidewalk or street as she continues to run, oblivious to the disaster that has unfolded behind her.

None of this is her fault however.  She is who she is, naturally.  But of course, she does notice the stares and she feels good.

So, the interesting phenomenon is that now the neighbor men walk their dogs at around the same time as she does, hoping to cross paths with her and relish a quick smile or wave from her, and of course, that increases their heart rate as much as a quick sprint.  And, interestingly, their wives are impressed—husbands now walk their dogs twice a day now, rather than once per week, with such great husbandly enthusiasm!  But they still won’t take out the trash.  “Hey John, thanks for walking Fido!  But I noticed he must really run you hard—I see your pulse pounding so hard on  your temples.  Exercise is good John, but please don’t overdo it!”

When she first moved to the neighborhood, there would only be one or two dog walkers, usually women, but after a month or so, there were now twelve dog walkers, nearly all men.  Interesting phenomenon.

She’s a smart woman.  She knows it’s because of her, she can’t help it.  It’s not their fault either because her smile and friendly wave demonstrates her feminine power that blows them down like a sweet but powerful hurricane.  The same thing happens when she is at work, where her power is her respected talent and accomplishments, dedication to her health, helping others, and making a difference, but in the end, she is a woman who appreciates a good man with a good heart.

But equally important is the man must love Ralph and Ralph must love him, if this man will have any chance with her at all.

© SRCarson Publications, 2023