Today, I went to feed and water my dog. It's raining right now thanks to Francis, (the storm), and as a result, there are water puddles everywhere. (You'll see where I'm leading in a minute.)

My dog gets high quality products to use, made of the finest that technology has to offer; Heavy duty stainless steel food bowl to eat from, and nontoxic plastic for her water bowl. Pure cotton collar, and lead, and a non rusting chain. She also has a "Dogloo" brand dog house. When I grill out, I always make sure she gets something from the grill. If I were to be treated as well as my dog, I would love to live her life.

Well, here is where things go awry.

While I'm feeding and watering Spot, (yes, that's her name), She starts drinking from a water puddle. A nasty brown water and dirt mixture that can in no way taste as good as our softened water. I got to thinking right then, (as I sometimes do), that perhaps she and I may not be as different as it sometimes seems. I start thinking about other things she does. Sometimes she will knock her food bowl over and eat from the ground. Sometimes it will be days before she even touches her special blend hi-pro dog food, preferring to chase and eat gophers and field mice, and the occasional grass clump. When I toss her a burger from the grill, (after it's cooled of course), she will drop it to the ground before she eats it. After we bathe her, she rolls around on the ground and gets into some nasty odors. She never sleeps in her house, preferring under the truck or car instead. What in the world could she possibly be thinking? Is this really the way she stays happy? These are not normal things, are they? Or are they?

This is where my philosophical thinking comes in handy. I start thinking about the things I like to do. I like sleeping under the stars even though I own a home. I love the feel of the wind in my face as I ride my motorcycle even though I may be safer in my car. I prefer wearing kilts and men's skirts to pants. Even though pants are more popular right now, I prefer the comfort. I love to catch wild food and eat it fresh. I love the way my wife smells before her bath.

Why? Why do both of us seem to reject the status quo? What is it that makes Spot and I different from so many others that we seem to know?

Here's the theory that I have. We are both trying to get back to some form of primal state. Back to a time where life was simpler, more primitive. Back to a time when fresh, natural food was all that was available. Back to a time before pants were invented, or baths were popular. These are the times when people seemed happier and less stressed. Our planet and it's population were stronger, healthier, and less polluted.

I suppose that means that even though spot and I are different species, we know that if we do certain things that our individual species used to do long ago, we can be happier, healthier, and release certain stresses. Perhaps we will even extend our lives slightly. If not, we will at least enjoy the one we have that much more.

The whole point to this writing is this.

Go primal once in a while. Do what makes you happy. Eat an occasional natural meal. Wear unbifurcated garments once in a while. Be free. Miss a bath once in a while. Sleep outside sometimes. Make the time to ignore time. There's not much time left in your life, you may as well live it how you want. We as humans share a lot with other species, but we are not sheep. Let's not act like sheep. Be an individual.

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