On my way to North Carolina, I recently followed a GPS suggestion that I thought might end up being a shortcut.  I’ve lived in the same county most of my life and driven by that turnoff more times than I can remember, and yet I’d never taken it before.

The road curved like a repeating S with no center line or outside edge markings.  It was more like an asphalt path than an actual road, and it didn’t end up saving me any time.

But along that small country byway, someone had begun to restore an old historic-looking two-story brick house.  The fields beyond were long and flowing green with white fencing marking the perimeters.  Content-looking cows lazed beside a low bottom creek.  I wanted to stop and study it a bit, think about the succession of lives that might have played out there, whether this road had once had a horse and buggy version.  It was like driving through a real life painting, one that played out each and every day, literally a few miles from my own house.  And I had never known it existed.

There’s something to be said for slowing down a bit and simply drinking in a different view.

Sometimes that’s all it takes to put us on a new road altogether.

The Lucky One - Beth and Logan

I saw The Lucky One today. The movie is based on the novel of the same name by Nicholas Sparks. I had seen the previews for this and wanted to see it, but didn’t realize it was out yet. When I saw it listed at my local theatre, I made a spur of the moment decision to go, and what a wonderful treat this movie was.

How could I not immediately fall for Logan Thibault(Zac Efron) who arrives home from a tour of duty to be greeted by his great big German Shepherd, Zeus. It is immediately clear that the dog adores him, and I soon did as well.

The Lucky One

Logan is this quiet soul kind of guy who speaks with his eyes as much as with words. He’s young, but he’s seen a lot, and believes he’s lucky to be alive, crediting that to a photo he found after a surprise attack leaves other soldiers around him dead. No one seems to know who the woman in the picture is, but when he arrives back in the States, he decides to try and find her.

The woman is Beth Green (Taylor Schilling). She lives in Louisiana with her grandmother(wonderfully played by Blythe Danner) and her son Ben. They run a boarding and kennel facility called Green Kennels, a dog lover’s dream.  Again, how could I not love this movie?

The story is one of growth and healing.  Beth’s threatening ex-husband is the main roadblock to the love developing between Logan and her, but we see Beth finally stand up to him and reach out for the love she wants with Logan.

The movie is beautifully made, the scenery lush and inviting. The story is filled with many emotional and touching moments, among them Logan’s role in helping Beth’s son to have confidence in his musical ability and Beth’s grief over the loss of her brother.

If you love dogs and a good love story, The Lucky One is a can’t miss.

A relationship.  A new house.  A career.  And then we get it.  It’s kind of like that old adage about the dog who chases the car and finally catches it.  Now what?

It’s easy enough to go on to the next thing.  Checked that box.  And we’re wanting the new, the different, the has-to-be-better.

Our culture is built on this philosophy in so many ways.  The latest iPhone hasn’t finished synching the contacts of its purchasers before rumors of the next version start to circulate – and it’ll be so much better because it has this new feature and that new feature.  And suddenly, the one we have doesn’t seem so great anymore.

Or what about our work?  We haven’t fully appreciated the success of making it to our current rung before we’re looking up at the next one and thinking how great it would be to get there.  Wishing we could be like so and so who’s already lounging around in the very spot we’d like to have.

We could easily live our lives chasing this loop of infinity.  Never quite getting where we think we ought to be because there’s another must-have just over the next horizon.  But if we’re bent on discontent, always wanting what we don’t have instead of what we do have, happiness is going to be an elusive commodity.

Maybe then contentment isn’t so much a destination as it is a commitment.  To be happy with where we are while we’re there.  With what we have while we have it.  Life is definitely made richer and fuller by setting goals and reaching for new milestones.  But when it’s all said and done, maybe the bigger accomplishment will come from continuing to want what we have while we have it.

This major tournament provides fans with a unique opportunity throughout a week’s worth of playoffs to walk from court to court and stand at the sidelines watching while the game’s top names practice and play – Andy Roddick and Rafael Nadal – Caroline Wozniacki and Maria Sharapova.  And Roger Federer, of course.

The competition at this level of tennis is fierce, players on the way up the ladder, others trying to maintain their position.  But at this particular tournament, there has been another variable testing the mettle of some of the players: flu.

Word of the flu bug started to circulate on our second day at the tournament, and it became fact for our family when our fifteen-year old daughter woke up in the middle of the night with it.

Rumor had it that the flu had hit the Federer household as well, and anyone hoping to see Federer play couldn’t help but wonder if he would end up dropping out of the tournament as some nine other players already had.

But on Tuesday night, Roger Federer arrived at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden to take on the 6’ 5” Canadian Milos Raonic who can fire off serves at 140 mph plus.  If the flu rumors were true, it would be easy to surmise that the odds might not be in Federer’s favor for this match.  But to watch him walk out on the court was to see a real professional in action, a guy there to bring his best game and get the job done.

And whether we’re talking about tennis or any endeavor we choose to take on, there’s some real wisdom to be learned from Roger Federer.

Show up with the tools in your toolbox.  Whatever our chosen profession or passion, there’s no getting around doing the prep work, putting in the time it takes to really get good at something.  It’s been said that anyone at the top of their field has spent at least 10,000 hours doing what they do.  Playing the guitar. Writing songs or novels. When it comes to tennis, Roger Federer has clearly put in his 10,000 hours.

Ignore the hype regarding your opponent or competition.  In Federer’s Indian Wells match against Milos Raonic, there was plenty of commentator attention paid to the fact that the up and coming Canadian player is a physical force.  And at 6’5”, he no doubt appeared an intimidating opponent on the other side of the court.  Not to mention that he’s also reputed to have a very high tennis IQ.  But Federer’s composure and rock solid cool were never more apparent. And never more of an asset.

Focus while it matters.  Whatever it is we hope to achieve, there are certain times when our focus matters.  When it pays to laser in and give the effort everything we’ve got.  Federer’s game is the perfect visual example of this.  During the time he’s there on that court, he’s there 100 percent.  That’s what it takes to win.  When it matters, give it 100 percent.

Know what you do best and use it at every opportunity.  We each have strengths and weaknesses.  Federer knows his killer shots and has a gift for waiting for and knowing the moments to use them.

Don’t ever count yourself out. Facing a major tournament knowing you’ve been exposed to the flu would have to put a twig or two of doubt in the most confident person’s mind.  As real life goes, we can usually find a reason to think we might not be up to our best. Worry is a wasted emotion. When it counts, go at your best game as if it’s right at your fingertips. If you believe it, others will, too.

2.  Point out something you like in someone.  Maybe it’s how they talk to their dog in a way we would all like to be talked to. Maybe it’s the way they send thank you notes that sound like they took time to write them.

3.  Ask someone for advice on something you know they’re really good at and have worked hard to accomplish.  Most people have something they’re knowledgeable about because they love it and have spent time developing it.  They may be only too happy to share what they know and feel complimented that you sought them out.

4.  If there’s an older person in your life, drop by for a visit just to talk.  Ask them about something meaningful in their lives that interests you and give them a chance to talk about it.  Older people have a wealth of experience and history to share with others, but it may seem to them that no one has time to listen.

5.  If you have a dog that loves people, try getting him or her approved for visits to a local nursing home.  Dogs can make people smile with the simple wag of their tails.  Regular visits can bring joy to those who may not have many visitors.

6.  Plant a small garden in the spring and share your vegetables with a food pantry, an older person who can no longer garden, or a family who could use the assistance.  A few tomato and squash plants can yield an abundance of produce.

7.  Maybe you have a neighbor who isn’t able to walk his or her dog as much as they would like to due to age or health issues.  Volunteer to do so for them.

8.  Offer to teach someone something you know how to do.  Maybe you know a teenager who would like to learn to play guitar but can’t afford the lessons.  Or someone who doesn’t have computer skills but would like to.  It may seem like a little thing to us, but can be huge to someone who may not have had the same opportunities in life.

My Grandpa Holland taught me the joy of helping dogs in need, showed me that Hounds just make great friends.  He introduced me to the back roads of our county on Sunday mornings when he would take my sister and me with him in his little red truck on what we called his “rounds” – the places he went regularly to visit with other farmers and friends.

My Grandma Holland taught me what it means to put others before yourself.  She grew up in a family of ten siblings, and her mother died when she was thirteen.  She was a child of the Depression years, and that time shaped her in ways that followed her throughout her life.  I loved hearing stories of the meals she shared with her brothers and sisters at a big harvest style table, how they would swing from grape vines over the creek in the summers and pick pawpaws at the edge of the woods near their house.  And she always carried Juicy Fruit in her purse.  It just seems right that a purse should smell like Juicy Fruit.

My Grandma Johnson was the youngest child in her family, and her parents were older by the time they had her.  She became their caretaker before she was a teenager, and she was self-sufficient at an age when I was still watching Scooby-Doo.  She started making biscuits when she was eight, and I have never to this day had one that can begin to rival hers.

My Grandpa Johnson, who at age 75, sometimes had trouble remembering what happened the day before, could tell me the number on the motel door where he stayed the night before shipping out to Germany for World War II.  When I was very young, it was hard for him to talk about his experiences there as a prisoner of war, but as I grew older, he would share bits and pieces about how long they would go without food, the potato peelings and turnips the guards would throw them when they did get fed, how when they were finally rescued, one of his fellow soldiers died after eating too many of the doughnuts brought to them by the Red Cross.

Their world was a totally different world from the one I grew up in.  And today, looking back, it seems even more hard to believe that was their life.  But it was.  And the bits and pieces of it that they shared with me are what I will carry with me throughout my life.

I think of the times when I sat and listened to them talk of their experiences, and my only regret is that I didn’t sit longer or ask them to talk about their lives more often.  I can still see my Grandpa Johnson sitting under the maple shade tree in their yard, stringing a metal wash pan full of green beans, his sun-browned arthritic hands quick at the task.  There I am beside him in that orange and white nylon web lounge chair, hugging my knees to my chest, rapt as he transports me to that place and time.

I miss him so much.

The Vow

A movie on a cold February Saturday afternoon sounded like a good idea, but to be honest, I haven’t seen that many movies lately that left me feeling glad I went once it was over.

Not so with The Vow.

For me, this was a movie that did what movies are supposed to do, offer up a story that allows for a couple hours of complete absorption, a mini-vacation of a sort.  The story gets off to a roller coaster start, a short ride up the first hill to happiness, and then it’s dropping off the other side into total uncertainty.

The Vow

Leo and Paige are two people you can’t help but want the best for.  As guys go, Leo(Channing Tatum) is a good one.  Once Paige(Rachel McAdams) snags his heart, it’s clear he’s hers for life.  His love for her is so earnest and convincing that he’s easy for us to love.

Paige’s struggle with what has happened to her(trying not to give away the story here!) makes her a little less sympathetic at times, but not enough so to make us question why Leo still loves her.

The most outstanding scene in the movie for me was the one in which Jessica Lange who play’s Paige’s mother, explains to her daughter why she stayed with Paige’s father after he had an affair with one of Paige’s friends.  Lange’s explanation is riveting, and this was the part of the story that made me cry.

Again, without giving away the plot, it was nice to leave the theatre feeling hopeful instead of hopeless.  If you’re looking for a good love story to lose yourself in, go see The Vow.  I’m glad I did.

Charlie

The day Charlie was brought to the Franklin County Animal Shelter might have been both the worst and best day of his life.

He arrived there with someone who said he had been hit by a car.  His back leg was retracted, and he could not walk at all.  He kind of rolled instead.  A Franklin County Humane Society volunteer happened to be there at the time and said she would take Charlie with her to the Rocky Mount Pet Clinic where it was determined that the injury was actually an old one.  His nails were so long and curled that they were almost embedded in the pads of his paws, compounding the difficulty he had walking.

The old injury could not be repaired in a way that would allow him to be without pain and to walk normally.  So Dr. Eric Lorens removed the leg, and there began Charlie’s journey to healing.

Shan Sirry volunteered to foster him during his recovery, and Charlie could not have hoped for a more loving, nurturing foster home.  Shan took him in as her own, shuttled him to vet appointments and therapy sessions to help him adjust to his new life as a dog with three legs instead of four.  And just gave him truckloads of love.  Which was all he’d ever really wanted anyway.

Today, Charlie starts the next phase of his new life.  Shan and her mother are driving him to New Jersey.  If all goes well, he will join his new family where he’ll receive the kind of love and care he deserves.

Dogs like Charlie leave permanent paw prints on our hearts.  Watching him heal and show joy for even the little things, a car ride, a cookie, a new toy, well, you see, that’s what it’s all about.  Every volunteer involved in his journey from that shelter to the home he’s travelling to today knows they have done something meaningful, something that matters.

Because Charlie matters.

Charlie matters.

Water Therapy

If you’re a dog who ends up in need of a new family, it would be a far better deal to be a seven pound poodle than a dog like Columbo.

You see, Columbo is a big boy.  Eighty pounds easy, and brawny with cords of muscle like a linebacker.  Oh, yeah, he’s also a Pitt Bull.

But to know Columbo is to want a dog like Columbo.  First off, he’s just drop dead gorgeous.  Like one of those pro football players who not only got the gift for the game but the looks to go with it.

Columbo’s game is a love for life.  And he’s so darn good at it.  That was the one thing he made abundantly clear during the October 22^nd Franklin County Humane Society Adoption event hosted by Tractor Supply.

The boy’s never met a stranger.  Whenever someone new would stop to greet him, he was up on his feet like the Southern gentleman he is, wagging his tail and panting one of his big goofy smiles.  “Hey, how are you?  Nice to meet you. Glad you could come out today!”  You could almost hear him say the words.

Columbo didn’t bother with sitting around looking pitiful either, dwelling on the fact that he’s been at the FCHS Adoption Center since May, watching weekend after weekend as his buddies leave with a new family or head out on a transport for New Jersey or New Hampshire.

He’s had to watch a lot of newfound friends leave him behind.  He misses them when they go.  But he has lasting people friends at the Adoption Center.  Ray, who takes care of him everyday and Karin, who tries to make sure he gets seen by the families who come to look for a dog.  And all the volunteers, too, like the ones who signed up as his date for the adoption event.

It turned out to be a beautiful day there, and Columbo enjoyed every minute of being outside in the sunshine, getting lavished with treats and chew toys, and ooohed and aaahhed over by each of his escorts.

The puppies were popular, and three kittens got adopted.

No one filled out an application for Columbo, but when the event ended, and he climbed into a volunteer’s car to head back to the adoption center, he seemed to be okay with that.  He knows he’s not a dog for just anyone, but he’s a dog for someone.  And he can wait until that person comes along.  Someone who’s been looking for a dog just like him.  They’ll be every bit as special as he is.

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If you’re the person Columbo has been waiting for, please email ascott@embarqmail.com.