Just a dog?
Robert with a couple of dogs, and a wild hog, caught and tied live
“From time to time, people tell me, "lighten up, it's just a dog," or "that's a lot of money for just a dog."
They don't understand the distance traveled, the time spent, or the costs involved for "just a dog."
Some of my saddest moments have been brought about by "just a dog," and in those days of darkness, the gentle touch of "just a dog" gave me comfort and reason to overcome the day.
If you, too, think it's "just a dog," then you will probably understand phrases like "just a friend," "just a sunrise," or "just a promise."
Because of "just a dog," I will rise early, take long rides and look longingly to the future.
So for me and folks like me, it's not "just a dog" but an embodiment of all the hopes and dreams of the future, the fond memories of the past, and the pure joy of the moment.
I hope that someday they can understand that it's not "just a dog," but the thing that gives me humanity and keeps me from being "just a man."