| Missing Scene from Snowstorm: A Spotted Dog? |
I've never thought much about reincarnation. I believe in Heaven, and I certainly believe in Hell, but I never thought much about what happened after we passed on. I figured that when I died, I would be up above the clouds, with cute little imps, wearing wings and playing a harp. When I heard this voice telling me that I had lived my life well, and I had earned the chance to go back and do it all again, I was stunned. I was a home town girl that had lived a simple life, and tried not to hurt anyone along the way. Why was I chosen to go back to Earth again? I thought only people that had made a real difference would be given this chance. I assumed somebody was playing a prank on me, and since this was Heaven (I hoped), I figured it was harmless. I played along, and just blurted out the first thing that crossed my mind. "I want to come back as a dog." You know that old saying, be careful what you wish for, you just might get it? Well, I got it. I never thought the big guy upstairs had a sense of humor, but boy did he ever! The next thing I knew, I was looking at the world from a whole new perspective. Instead of standing on my own two feet, I was standing on four. And I wasn't even in a house; I was standing outside of a store front. I turned and looked at the reflection in the window and screamed. Or, should I say yelped? I was a Dalmatian, a spotted dog! Don't get me wrong. I don't have anything against dogs, or even Dalmatians, but having a dog is a whole lot different than being one! I sat down and just stared for a while. OK, genius, what are you going to do now? You couldn't ask to come back as Princess Margaret, or even Barbara Streisand? You had to come back as a dog, a stray dog at that? But, you know, the more I sat there, the more I got used to the idea. Some people say that a dog's senses are more acute than ours, and I realized they were right. I could see and hear things that I had never noticed before. It was like going through life wearing earmuffs and blinders, and suddenly having them snatched away. I could smell food from the restaurants all up and down the block. Maybe this wasn't going to be so bad after all. So I spent the next few days getting used to my new home, and the new me. The shopkeepers in the neighborhood took a liking to me, so I never went hungry and could always find a warm, dry place to sleep. But, I still couldn't figure out why I had been sent back. That is, until I saw THEM. They were two of the most gorgeous hunks of mankind that I had ever seen. Woof! I have to admit, my first thought was, what a waste! Why did I have to meet them now? Why couldn't I have met them in my other life? If they fell blindly in love with me and took me home, what could I do about it? Wag my tail? It was enough to make my blue eyes brown. Still, it gave me an inkling of why I was there. After watching these two for a while, I realized they were cops, but not your usual run-of-the-mill cops. They were undercover cops, only they patrolled the same beat day after day. There was also something about them that I could sense. I'm not sure if we were linked by a psychic connection, but I could read their thoughts and could feel the bond they shared. It was more than friendship, more than trust. Theirs was a bond that transcended any label. In that instant, I knew what I had to do. If my life as a dog was Fate, taking care of them was my destiny. After I watched them for a while, I knew my job wasn't going to be easy. These two got into more trouble than the rest of Bay City's finest combined. If anybody needed a guardian angel, or a guard dog, it was those two beautiful bodies. I thought my life was a mess, but they made my life look like a bed of roses. So, I decided to follow them for a while and try to keep them out of trouble. It wasn't easy, believe me. At first, they didn't even notice me. Then, finally, the blonde Nordic type did, and he was as surprised as I was that I was there. I never could get curly top to notice me, though. It seemed like every time I sat in plain sight, he looked the other way. I could see Blondie pointing at me, but Curly would just shake his head and shrug. He probably thought his partner had gone around the bend. Why would a dog be following them around? They didn't know I was their very own guardian angel wrapped up in a black and white fur coat. To be honest, I wasn't sure that I could help them until my worst nightmare happened. I had finally decided to introduce myself that day. I figured the best approach was the direct one, so I came up with a plan. I was sitting on the sidewalk, looking cute and waiting for them to notice me when I heard this awful noise. The only time I heard that noise in my previous life was on television, but I knew instantly what it was: the sound of a rifle going off. My handsome blonde had just bent down and started to call me, when the glass in the car next to him broke. That's it, I thought, all bets are off. This guardian angel stuff isn't all it's cracked up to be. I stopped worrying about Blondie and Curly and got my tail, my nose, and everything in between out of there. Cats have nine lives, not dogs. Besides, with my big mouth, I figured I'd come back next time as a porcupine, or something. Still, I did do my job, sort of. I had distracted them. Instead of hitting my two cops, the bullets flew over their heads, while Blondie and Curly hunkered down beside the car, safe and sound. I sat down a strategic distance away, and watched as they chased after the bad guy, but they lost him. Finally, I breathed a sigh of relief as they got back into their car and drove away. I listened for a while through the psychic connection I had with them, then went back to my warm bed and collapsed. Keeping those two safe was a full time job, and an exhausting one. Well, everything turned out OK. They managed to catch the bad guys without getting hurt and the city was safe for mankind, and dogs, once again. I followed them to a bar, and watched as they celebrated with the owner. They all seemed to be close friends, and were having a great time. Was that fair, I thought? Whether they knew it or not, I was a part of the team now. They were in there, having a good time, while I was cooling my paws on the sidewalk outside. So I did what any Good Samaritan would do, I waited until the door opened and scooted inside. Finally, after all this time, we were going to be together. Blondie called to me, and I soon found myself the object of their affections. They were petting me and hugging me, so I gave them a kiss. It was a little wetter than I was used to giving, but who am I to kibble? Sorry, I meant quibble. After chasing them around for days, I was in doggy Heaven. My grandmother always said, when life hands you lemons, you make lemonade. I guess the same concept applies here. If I had thought before I opened my big mouth, I wouldn't be spending this lifetime as a dog. But, around the cloud of rabies shots and flea collars, there is a silver lining. If I weren't a dog, I never would have met Starsky and Hutch. Yeah, I finally found out what their names were. Blondie was Hutch, and Curly was Starsky. And what was my name? It wasn't Mud, baby. They named me Jewel, though I don't know why. It doesn't matter. All I know is, if it weren't for the man upstairs, I wouldn't be a part of their life, and they wouldn't share the love they have for each other with me. So the next time you see a certain spotted dog on the street, be kind. Things aren't always what they seem to be. Don't kick her, or throw water on her. If she passes you with a gleam in her eyes, step aside and let her go. Somewhere ahead, there may be two very special cops that need her. She may not be just a dog; she may be somebody's guardian angel, spots or no spots. |