The Jake Files

Here's something I wrote about Jake for the Writers in the Schools newsletter in 2001.

Letter from the Director [that's me!]

My dog Jake is not a great writer, and yet he has managed to teach me a few important things about how to live my life.

Jake is a foundling.  I found him in June on a Sunday afternoon.  People were playing baseball in the park.  He’d been hit by a car and was limping.  He followed me for miles.

Maybe I am the foundling.  He did find me, in a sense.  I was chosen.

That week I was sitting in a 3^rd grade classroom in our summer camp.  They were sharing news of the day and practicing description.  I described (poorly, so as to receive assistance) my new puppy. 

The next day I received a note from a student in that group, Chelsea, who wrote, “Dear Ms. Robin, Take good care of your puppy.”  I have tried my utmost.

As a steadfast puppy observer (severely biased by parenthood) I have abstracted a few mojos that I suspect to be the guiding principles of Jake.

But first, let me provide a few vital statistics:

Name: Jake

Memorable features: polka dot eyebrows, floppy right ear flops, missing the right hind leg

Age: almost 3

Likes: peanut butter, bones, people food, treats, running like wind, swimming in the bayou, assisting in household chores as the sous chef in the kitchen, jr. gardener in the yard, laundry boy, etc.

Dislikes: taking a bath, his sister Moriah the cat

Nicknames by loved ones: Jacob, J-Chamber, Glow dog, Poco, Poky, Pokemon, Jakomon

Nicknames by strangers: Tripod, Troika, Lucky, Hopalong

And now, Life according to Jake:

• If you don’t know what something is, smell it.  If you still aren’t sure, taste it.

• When you want something, but someone else has it, ask for it.  If that doesn’t work, beg.  If THAT doesn’t work, do some tricks.
• When someone makes you nervous, keep moving.  When you have a good feeling about someone, strike up a friendly conversation.  If they ignore you, keep moving. 
• Every decision is an everyday decision.  If you make a mistake, keep moving.
• If your people are sick, give them a big kiss and stick close by for a while.
• Joy is everywhere.  It is not hiding.  It is ours for the taking.

So by the grace of a dog, I keep my eyes and ears open.  I try to pay attention to the wonders on either side of my path. The classroom is everywhere.

Comments

[Barbara]

My boyfriend has a three-legged cat that he calls Eileen. I refuse to call her that because I don't want to hurt her feelings. I call her Helen.

[Jesse]

My girlfriend and I have a Dachshund Mix that we got from the animal shelter named Jake. When we got him he had Distemper... Now he is a lil bit slow but he is a good boy none the less. He does not know that he is only 4 inches tall.
Nice story thanks for sharing.
Jesse