A friend of mine employs eight full time employees and one
volunteer. The volunteer is there most days and he’s one of the most popular members
of the business. He’s only young, around nine years, but he’s smart and big for
his age. He’s willing, and he's friendly to other staff and clients. He keeps his
mouth shut; you won’t find him gossiping or running down the boss. He’s got a
nose nudge and big wet lick for everyone. Oh…did I mention he’s a dog? Sorry. It’s
easy to forget that because he’s so much part of the human team.
Rufus has developed great relationships with everyone in his
work circle. He greets the Postie at the door, takes the mail and trots it to
the office. He visits the workers throughout the building workers on a regular
basis, sometimes looking for a treat (well always
looking for treat) but he’ll settle for a pat or a neck rub. Rufus is a great
stress reliever. He makes people laugh. He pulls his weight by running delivery
errands in the building. Clients love him too. He’s certainly a conversation
starter. It’s a smart move to have him
there.
I envy my friend his dog friendly workplace. Every time I hear
a story of Rufus’s latest exploits, it reminds me of my dog, Ferrari, who would
sit at my feet or on the study chair opposite my desk while I wrote. Just having
him there seemed to give me more focus. He looked at me as if I could do no
wrong (clearly he’d never read my work). When he was well enough, we’d take walks,
which would help me clear my head if I was stumped by a piece of work. I'd often
come back with my head full of stories and new ideas. Ferrari died some years ago
and I miss him chronically.
There is something about having a dog (or a cat if you can
work with a furry beast draped across your keyboard) in the workspace. They
bring a sense of calmness to the environment. You can confide any problem to
them, knowing it will never be repeated. They let you know you're okay, even
when you’re full of doubt. And that’s a big thing when you’re a writer. So all
you scribes, if you have a pet to sit with you while you spend those long
sessions at the page, you're a step ahead of the game.
As for me, I'm going to see if I can borrow Rufus for a while.
