A Tree Grows on Washtenaw

Actor portraying John.

I had stopped taking the dogs for walks last year. It was so much easier to just put them out in the back yard and tell them, "Poop. Go ahead, poop..... hurry up. Poop." When the weather turns cold again, I will probably go back to that. Anyway, I am now walking Scout twice a day. Chandler doesn't get a walk. He is just too old for that. As it is I have to carry his ass up and down the stairs for him to go outside. Literally, I have a sling that goes under his ass so I can help him on the stairs. Poor old guy.

The other day, as I walked Scout around the block on her early foray, I ran into an old guy named John. I had met and talked to John months ago when they were tearing up my street. Although John lives the next street over, he was in front of my house watching the giant machines tear the place up. It's what old men do. Watch younger men work, then discuss. John was watering some plants in front of his house and I mentioned how sad it was that the city had to cut down the giant tree in front of his house. The city is responsible for the trees in the parkway, that swath of green between the street and the city sidewalk. John didn't say anything. He ignored me. John is old so I assumed his hearing was bad and I repeated myself in a loud voice. Then I added "Is the city going to plant a new tree?" He turned to me and in an angry, bitter voice told me, "Why? Your damn dog will just piss on it and kill it." There are so many things I could have said, and were I younger and more belligerent I would have. Instead, all I said was, "I don't think that's how it works." And kept on walking, since Scout had already peed on his tree stump.