TO JOSIE

Thank you, Terry, not just for sticking with me through my exile, but for your suggestion in your comment about posting a picture of my dog. This is Josie, who passed away on November 4th of last year. Three days later I had her remains interred in a classy L.A. Pet Cemetery near the resting place of Roy Rogers' wonder horse, Trigger. I delivered a short eulogy to my friends in attendance, and then buried a copy of the eulogy in her casket. But it makes sense that Josie does deserve a eulogy in the more everlasting Cyberspace.

This is part of what I said:

For someone who made his living selling his writing I find it incredibly hard to form words sufficient to convey the depth of affection and gratitude I have for this wonderful being. And it's not just because I'm supposed to be on strike. I've been considering what to say to honor her, and know I will fall short as the depth of emotion is beyond language.

I preferred to give Josie an eternal burial place rather than more economical means of disposal, even to keeping her remains with me. This is a result of my upbringing, I suppose. In these days of Green power it's not fashionable to take up space in the earth. but for Josie I feel it's essential. I've selected a non-biodegradable casket that will last far beyond any of us. My fantasy is that someday some future archaeologist will stumble upon these remains. and derive some appreciation of the bond I had with her, evidenced by the memorabilia interred with her. any photos that survive, a copy of this, and of course, the inscription on her marker.

Besides, Josie is part-terrier, a "dog of the earth," whose nose was always sniffing under the surface. It seems fitting and proper that she get her own piece of ground.

Objectively speaking, Josie was not a remarkable pooch, not very talented, not a keen learner. She only knew one trick, which was to fetch when I asked her to "Bring me the toy." She was a glutton, ultimately eating far too much rich food for her own good. That I considered her clearly the Best Dog in the World is purely subjective. But she truly was a fine representative of a wonderful species, and in honoring her here I'm also saluting all those dogs who've come into our lives and given us so much comfort. I am not a spiritual person, and will not blame or thank a deity for the experiences I have had with her. But I must acknowledge the absolute beautiful relationship Nature has somehow constructed--or evolved--between our two species. And it's that bond I emphasize here, one I share with all those others who've festooned this cemetery with their own tributes.