I accidentally tore the vacuum hose. Instead of replacing the whole machine, it seemed economical and practical to just replace the broken part. I’d opted for the simplest solution, right? But an hour of searching in the darkest corners of vacuum websites, I realized that in adulthood simplicity is a farce, and sometimes it’s not just the vacuum that sucks.
As I kid, I couldn’t wait to grow up, convinced that adulthood was a nonstop all-you-can-eat éclair buffet with no bedtimes. I imagined my futuristic self-cleaning house and my esoteric talent garnering gobs of passive income. Yes, I was partially raised on ‘80s cartoons, so the more I learned about real adulthood, the more I dreaded donning the title.
But ready or not, adulthood came for me, as it does for all of us, to varying degrees. Suddenly, I was thinking about health insurance deductibles and comparing mortgage rates. In a word: yawn. When did life become rife with not only incessant worry, but dull worries?
I found myself fretting most of the time, given that there’s just so much to be concerned about. Every news headline gave me fresh fodder for fretting (say that 5 times fast!), but really, running a home, raising kids, and being a citizen of the earth isn’t for the faint of heart.
I wondered, where was my éclair buffet?
Appropriate melancholy ensued as I started to believe that adulthood was just about filling out forms, paying bills and apologizing for delays via email. In a stunning turn of events, bedtime had somehow become the highlight of the day.
I was trudging along this way until I discovered dogs. I had been rigidly pragmatic in my arguments against dog ownership; vet bills, muddy paws, heartworms, barking, etc, yet I failed to understand the pure goodness that comes from connecting with a canine. I’m not proud to admit that I was an anti-dog person, but I have since seen the light, and now I know what a ridiculous joy it is to be a dog owner, muddy paws and all.
To be honest, I tricked even myself into welcoming a dog into our family. I reasoned that it was ‘for the children’, and I approached getting a dog with false stoicism and pragmatism. I pretended that my own fun and enjoyment wasn’t a factor in the decision, since I was an adult, darnit. Even as I rationalized getting a second puppy so that our first puppy wouldn’t be lonely, I imagined I was somewhat detached. I loved them wildly, but I reasoned that I was checking a box on a parenting checklist first and foremost.
Recently, while driving my dogs to run in the woods, their soft excited whimpers blossomed into full-on over-the-top howling, yipping, dog-party-freak-out screaming. I had been listening to the news, finding new issues to worry about, but their howls drowned everything out. I tried shushing, yelling, windows down, all to no avail. The thrill of going on a daily run in the woods was far too glorious to go by without exuberant celebration, according to my dogs. While I fiercely loved my puppies before they started screaming in my face, my awareness of the potent magic they possess wasn’t fully revealed to me until that moment.
According to Tamara Lechner, author of ”10 Signs of Spiritual Awakening and Enlightenment”, there are a variety of practices that can support a deepened level of awareness, inner peace and awakening. From being outside, slowing down, meditating, laughing and even dancing, we have accessible tools to make real life less bleak.
Suddenly, my dogs had given me an expedited path to nothing short of a spiritual awakening. My dogs’ jubilant howls drowned out my humdrum concerns and allowed me to simply laugh. No thoughts of credit card interest rates or choosing multivitamins, just the absolute excitement of going to run in the woods. My dogs invited me into uncomplicated happiness.
I’m not so outrageous to claim that dogs are the only avenue to escaping the gloomiest doldrums of adulthood and ascending to a more open-hearted approach to life. However, I am certainly bold enough to insist that dogs can indeed be one of the more persuasive methods of uncovering joy in its rawest, most easily digestible form.
The dog-lovers are probably wondering what took me so long to figure this out, while all the non-dog people might think I’m bananas. But fear not, I’m not advocating for everyone to convert to loving dogs, since there are myriad ways of tapping into delight.
So as the new year approaches, I wish for each of you to discover, cultivate, kindle, or reignite all that you find delightful, and that which brings you amusement, peace and sparkle in your heart. No matter how silly, pointless, or furry, may your new year overflow with all that helps you to soar beyond the stupor of adult life, and allows you to simply laugh. In other words, may you gather up and revel in all the parts of life that don’t suck.
Happy New Year!
Chelsea Sunday Kline is an author and big hugger who was recently appointed the executive director at Cancer Connection.