Small town adventure
A few weeks ago, I had to pick up my medicine at the pharmacy. When I got there, they were closed. I had forgotten they aren’t open on a Tuesday afternoon, so I went back home. It’s not even 5 minutes from our home, but it was the first time that day that I went outside, so I took another route back.
On the way to the pharmacy, as I walked past our butcher’s shop, I saw a dog walking loose. I wasn’t sure if the person I saw there was the owner, so I kept walking. But on my way back to home, I saw the dog again, and obviously without an owner.
It was a really hot day and I wasn’t wearing the best sandals and started to feel a blister coming up. But I felt responsible. We live in a small village and this is a true community. The dog was really very friendly so I just went to follow him. He went to a home and I thought ‘okay that was not too far’ and I rang the bell. Nobody answered the door, but I didn’t feel comfortable leaving the dog, I needed to see if this was truly his owner and that he was safe and cared for. I decided to sit down in front of the house, they had a bench in front of their window so I just waited and tried to think of a plan. I didn’t want to wait for hours but for a little while it was okay.
After a while, I guess maybe 20 minutes, the door went open and an older man was surprised about me sitting there with the dog. I asked him if this is his dog, that I found the dog and didn’t know where he lived. But that he walked to this house. The man told me ‘this is not my dog, but he is familiar here and lives with an elderly couple not far from here’. I got a whole conversation and after that I went to search for his owners. I got his leash and went back. The dog was wandering in the street and when I put the leash on, he went with me.
After all of this, I went home feeling very satisfied and connected. At that time I mostly felt disconnected and lonely, missing a goal. But this was a small interaction that made me feel part of something. And also, it was a little adventure in a small town.
The past years I haven’t had much of these kind of experiences, I was inside mostly and due to feeling much overwhelm (autism) I couldn’t figure out how to go outside with a little one. All the steps I had to think of and prepare for an outing was draining me so I stayed home most of the days. But our little one is now bigger and I feel somewhat ready again to explore and experience these kind of adventures.
I also think due to me being at home so much the past years has made my baseline very low, so even very little things can make me feel such joy, connection and satisfaction. And that’s a blessing I guess.