Dog Walks
People who have a dog seem to walk it at the same time daily, and usually in the same place. In Toowong, Brisbane Australia many of us walk in a 22 acre historic cemetery. We meet on the cemetery roads. We talk about our dogs – we don’t know each other’s names, only the dogs’ names. We exchange information about our dogs’ health, local veterinarians. The talk extends to what is happening in the suburb, which is undergoing significant change. Real estate is a major issue, whose house is for sale, being renovated – good builders, plumbers, painters, electricians. Who has died, gone into a nursing home. Whose spouse is sick and what support services are available to them. My friend’s husband had a stroke and it was people she met walking who told her about the services she could tap into. She now passes that information on. There are plans for road realignments. We have exchanged information we learned at the Council meetings, what each of us has heard when we contacted the Council or the State Government. This has enabled us to obtain a clearer picture of what is planned, as there has been a great deal of conflicting and hidden information.
There have been a couple of occasions when we galvanised for action to stop a Crematorium being built in our cemetery and to stop local tree clearing. Parents exchange information about schools. Many of us are professionals, so not only do we talk about suburb issues, but also about our broader work environments – the university, financial world etc. Do you know of a job going in…?” “I’ll give you my business card” “Will you put some of my brochures in your waiting room..?”
I have recently moved. Now I walk along a river. When I needed a veterinarian I knew where to ask. Fishing information is exchanged, how to judge the weather, tides, currents and (still) real estate. Plus, most valuable of all “watch out ahead - there’s a nasty dog off its leash”.