I leave my house for a walk once or twice every day, usually at the same time. During these little outings, I inevitably encounter many of my neighbors, and I often stop and chat with them for a few moments. Many (if not most) of my neighbors are dog walkers. Thus, there is plenty of “pooch-petting” during my jaunts as well.
Yesterday I was out walking and saw one neighbor with Chuckie, their Labrador, another neighbor with their dog Milo (not sure of the breed), and another with Tucker, a Border Collie. It was then that I realized that while I know the names of all of the neighbors’ dogs, I know the names of only a few of the people. This struck me as being so strange.
Often, when I meet new people during a walk, the first thing I ask them is, “What’s your dog’s name?” as people love to talk about their pets. Plus, I’m a huge dog lover myself so stopping to pet the neighborhood canines is a massive highlight of my day. I’m sure many of the dog owners have told me their own names in the past, but for some reason, I recall their pet’s names but not the names of the people. Though now that I think about it, only a few of the neighbors call me by name, so I’m assuming they don’t know my name either.
I think it’s time to begin introducing myself to the folks I see on my walks — especially the regulars. It’s a bit silly knowing only the names of their pets.