how i found you

Life had changed.

The engagement was over.

With good friends life was moved to Austin, TX and we are all better for this change.  Ed and I got there first.  Laid the groundwork for a home that once Clare arrived a few months later became cozy and absolutely fun.

As the lease was coming to renew at the end of year 1, I knew that they were planning the next stage of their relationship and that I could more readily move myself to a new place.

I found the cutest little 1 bedroom house.  A place that had a huge yard that simply screamed for a dog.

The ex- was a cat person and so that was also a good break from bad tastes left lingering.  I went to Town Lake Animal Shelter in Austin, TX and had a heart wrenching stroll looking at all of the different dogs.  Some had heart worms.  Some were old.

Then I saw him.  A small, shy, black puppy with huge paws and floppy ears and the smallest of white patches on his chest.  He had a marker on his cage that said he’d been abused and he was so very skittish that first meeting in his cage.  I went to the steward and told them that I would like to adopt him.  He was about 2 months old and it was late February.  He is a black lab-cocker spaniel mix.

He came home a few days later and was christened Usher (so that I could live in the house of Usher.)

That was 1998.  He is now 11+ years old.  With a lot more gray and white showing on his plump body.  We’ve traveled the world together and now live comfortably in Europe.  What a life!

I thank him for his kisses every day.

Mark Maslow is an American writer and scientist living in The Netherlands. He was the host of the Ruta Maya Poetry Open Mic in Austin, Texas for 10 years. He can be seen at the Amsterdam American Book Center’s “Best of” open mic in June 2009.