Haiku by Dog: Anticipating

returning the ball / anicipating the thrill / when it's thrown again

Today’s haiku is by Tucker.

I’m about to get philosophical on you folks. 

Back in high school, I read The Myth of Sisyphus by Albert Camus. For those of you who may not have studied (or remember studying) Greek mythology, Sisyphus ticked off the gods (he put Death in chains so nobody would die). As punishment, they decided he would be condemned to perform a meaningless task over and over again for eternity; he had to push a heavy rock up a hill, only to watch it roll back down once he got to the top. And then he had to do it again. And again. And again. Endlessly.

You may have heard the expression “Sisyphean task,” which is one that is done repetitively and meaninglessly.  

In Camus’ essay, he imagines that Sisyphus finds meaning—and even joy—in his walk up that hill pushing that rock. And thus, he says, “The struggle itself … is enough to fill a man’s heart. One must imagine Sisyphus happy.”

With apologies to Camus, I would tweak his deep thought thusly: “The chase and return itself … is enough to fill a dog’s heart. One must imagine Tucker happy.”

Actually, I don’t have to imagine. Tucker’s fiercely wagging tail shows just how happy he is to endlessly chase and retrieve a ball, only to have me throw it again. And again. And again.

What do your pets like to do over and over again?

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