Not long after our dog TARA died, a pal asked me to look after his four-legged friend for a while, so I did. Two weeks after my doggie-sitting term had ended, I bought a puppy, ZARA, who was the final dog out of three that my family had over a nearly 26 year period. Let me tell you something - people who don't like dogs - or any animals in fact - and are untouched by an animal's death, are unnatural. There's something missing in them and they're very probably latent serial killers.
But that's another subject. When Zara was a few months old and still in the process of getting her jags, I was sitting in the vet's one evening and a dog could be heard whining behind a door. The vet came out to speak to me, and I caught a glimpse of a black dog which must've been tethered to a table leg or something. As I was speaking with the vet, the whining increased and the dog started scratching at the door and yelping. I asked what was wrong with it and the vet replied "It's getting put to sleep."
Anyway, after my business was completed, I made my way home feeling a little sorry for the dog, but too delighted with my own pup to dwell on it. A few years later, I ran into a friend, who mentioned that he'd been given the very canine that I'd once looked after, because its owner couldn't keep it any more. "What hap-pened to it?" I enquired of him. "I had to get it put down because..." I forget the reasons why, but I asked him where he'd taken the poor dog, and, sure enough, it was the very vet's where I'd taken Zara for her course of injections.
I checked the timeline with him and it matched. It was then I realized that the poor creature had been the dog behind the door, and must have recognized my scent or my voice - hence its frantic scratching, whining and yelping in an attempt to be rescued from what it must have sensed was its final fate. And I had failed it, and it had gone to its end unloved and unwanted.
Looking back now, I'm not sure what I could have done, if anything, but it still bothers me every now and again to this day. I'd only looked after it for a fortnight or so, and it wasn't as if it was 'my' dog, but that poor creature must've hoped I'd rescue it and I let it down, unaware of its identity though I'd been. Humans are often pretty useless when it counts, and I was found amongst that particular number on that sad and pitiful day. Alas, I no longer even recall the doomed dog's name.
Regrets? I've had a few... and this was one of them.
Bloody Hell, Kid, that's a terrible tale! Heart-rending. I was only saying to the missus recently how barbaric it was that when we were young people had perfectly healthy dogs put to death, simply because they couldn't cope or got fed up with them. Since our dog arrived, I cannot quantify the joy she has brought to our home and I know full well that, if I am still around, losing her will absolute kill me.
ReplyDeleteThe more you love, the worse you grieve and we couldn't love her any more - she's our little star!
Give her a little pat on the head from me, JP. Maybe you could put a piccie of her on your blog for everyone to see? Yeah, it's a shame that some people consider the lives of other creatures an inconveniece to be disposed of. Doesn't say a lot for some people, does it?
DeleteWill do, on both counts, Kid.
DeleteAnyone who doesn't love animals is sub-human!
There's definitely something missing in them, JP.
DeleteSo, I promised an intro..
ReplyDeleteThis might be as good a place as any to drop it, because I don't think I can comment directly on this post at the moment.. too raw. But you're both right - people who don't love animals are missing something vital (and I currently seem to be surrounded by them).
I'm not really a huge comics fan Kid and can't claim the level of passion and encyclopedic knowledge that you and some of your followers clearly have, but comics did play an important role in my life in the late 60's - mid 70's. In fact the way I found your blog was by searching for the Lopez Espi Marvel posters that you showed back on 24/02/14. I'd forgotten exactly how those posters looked and google searches turned up many incorrect suggestions before I found your blog. So, thank you for that. And, following that, I made contact with LE via his website and was able to order reproductions of the six originals. He even signed and dedicated each one for me! I haven't got around to framing them yet but I will do before the year is out.
My comics history started with Teddy Bear (?)(I think) then Valient, various football related ones like Scorcher (& Score) (as regulars) with whatever copies of The Beano, The Beezer, Buster, Cor!!, The Dandy, Shiver & Shake, The Topper and Whizzer & Chips I could afford. I don't remember how I got into Marvel but I do remember the first issue of Spider-man Comics Weekly arriving as a regular (I always preferred the earlier paper editions to the later glossy ones). Spidey was my hero and I was dead chuffed to actually get a letter printed one time. I think I only stayed with SMCW for a couple of years, although I do recall joining FOOM at one point, before moving onto various music related papers like Sounds, NME etc before I stopped reading altogether. But SMCW, for some reason, is the strongest anchor I have to those times of my life.
I've since collected a few issues that I remember, and several of the Essential Spider-Man collections (at least the ones covering the period that I remember - seemed to be more practical than buying every issue again!) but I seem to have drifted into re-collecting books that I used to have, like the Famous Five stories (both 70's paperbacks and original (1st editions where possible) hardbacks). Also Billy Bunter hardbacks and 1st editions. Also toys and board games that I remember having - Wembley, Campaign, Frustration, Baffle Ball etc etc
ReplyDeleteAnd that's the other thing I like about your blogs - the nostalgia, and the level of detail you seem to be capable of recalling. I have the most abysmal memory and have probably forgotten most of my childhood and I'm so envious when you can recall days, dates, locations (and photos) of so much of your life. But I enjoy your memories all the same.
I have a strong attraction to the house I was born in and grew up in, in Yorkshire. So many memories are in that house. A couple of years ago it was on the market and I really wanted to buy it but I had to settle for simply viewing it. It's been bought since (and rented out) so maybe one day I'll get to rent it myself for a year or so. I'd really like to do that. Unfortunately it has been changed a lot from when I lived there - walls knocked out, new walls put in, staircases moved etc but it was the little things that hadn't changed - the old wooden cellar door with it's metal latch, the original door and nonfunctioning lock on the bedroom cupboard, the stairs handrail (unbelievably). I recall you saying you'd like to be able to buy every house you've ever lived in and I totally agree. If I had the money I wouldn't hesitate to restore it to how it used to be, how I remember it. It'll never be the same (everything seemed much smaller of course) and the front room was always the corner shop that my parents ran when I lived there, but I think living and spending time there might help me to retrieve whatever memories I still have buried away..
I do have some ongoing health problems - longstanding depression, stress, anxiety, panic attacks, possible Aspergers or Borderline PD - so maybe it's no surprise that I seem to exist in a permanent Now with an increasingly vague and foggy past and non-existant future. Although, paradoxcically, the 60's and 70's recollections may be improving slightly - possibly due to exposure from blogs such as your own e.g. your post about the tea caddy triggered a memory of mine - there were certain details that I remembered differently but that was clarified when I found the exact model on ebay. I've never been great at relationships or socialising, even online, and it's probably inevitable that I may disappear from time to time - just sayin'.
And finally, FWIW, I don't want to kick off another session of Yesterday's 'comics industry' vs Today's 'comic industry' - it all seems to have been said - but just know that I seem to find myself in pretty much total agreement with you.
Now, I'm going to have to start tracking down all those posts (on both blogs) that I never commented on at the time.. (you do know I have 'more important' things I'm supposed to be doing, don't you?!)
JS
I'm assuming that it's okay to publish your comments, even 'though there's some personal info in them, but I also assume that 'John Smith' is a pseudonym, so nobody will be able to identify you anyway.
DeleteAs for comics, you might not be a huge fan per se, but at least you recognise the nostalgic appeal of the ones you had, and this blog is about nostalgia just as much as it's about comics, so relax. As for houses, I still think of every one I've ever lived in as 'my' house, and I always will feel like that. It's like being stabbed with a red hot knife through the heart whenever I notice a change to any of my old houses, or indeed even an old neighbourhood. Have you read my post 'A true account of time travel'? If not, I think you'll enjoy it.
And, hey - I imagine everyone has more important things to do than read this blog, so I'm grateful that they do and take the time to comment. And thanks for your interesting contributions.
I will also extend my welcome to you over on this blog, JS and it was interesting reading your introduction. Sorry to hear about your medical issues, but you are not alone. I, myself, have RAVING O.C.D., but, in the words of Marc Bolan, "Is there a sane man, anywhere?"
ReplyDeleteI have come to realise just how important memories of the past, so, if Kid's blogs bring things back to you, that's great. He has certainly taken ME backwards and forwards in time, like a proverbial time lord. If you haven't read the full blogs, I can honestly recommend taking your time and reading them both from the first post!
And the reason that Kid has such recall? - He's a mutant, much like Prof. X!
I'm certainly X-certificate, that's for sure, JP. There you are, JS, an unsolicited testimonial - what more could one want?
DeleteWell, I wouldn't mind me cheque! - It wasn't in the post!
DeleteBloody postman's gone and nicked it then, JP. It was sent first class.
DeleteContrary to what I said in my reply to John Smith/Jeremiah, THIS blog isn't about comics - it's my other one. I must've forgotten where I was for a moment.
ReplyDelete