A Walk With Suzy

The other afternoon I took a walk with my friend Suzy and her friend’s dog. I was really excited to take the dog for a walk, because it is something that I have rarely done in my life. I love dogs and dogs love walks. There is definitely something different about walking with a dog, opposed to walking with out one. Suzy lives in Kenwood, a historic neighborhood in Minneapolis with great homes and nice lawns, a far cry from the neighborhood south of MCAD, where Nick and I walked a few weeks ago.

This dog was enthusiastic about the walk and spent most of his time pulling the leash. In a chain-reaction he was pulling me. This was an influence on my desire to continue walking - A walking companion that doesn’t complain and is happy to be at your side. At one point, I couldn’t resist; I began running. I have dreamt of having a dog to run with. A motivating companion, one that isn’t human (so affected by mood). The dog did great, keeping up and seemed even happier to be running than walking. Almost magically, when we stopped running, he found a tennis ball, like a reward, and carried it the rest of the walk.

Meanwhile, Suzy and I walked for about two hours and had some interesting discussion. As we left Kenwood we entered the wooded public-use area behind the soaring hills and homes. The land was flat and the trails were converging, bikers and walkers abound. This is recreational territory, although I did see one guy biking in a suit. Here nearly everyone smiles at one another or even says hello. Many people were also walking their dogs, like a social event.

Suzy and I discussed how people living in Kenwood and similar affluent neighborhoods do value their homes, land and neighborhood. And it shows. Hardly any litter, no graffiti to be found, and buildings in disrepair were being remodeled. So why would someone living in Kenwood care about the perceptions of the exterior space in their collective neighborhood more than people living south of MCAD? Are they simply protecting their land value? I believe it is due to the dog walks, children playing, and gardens. People are spending time outside of their house, in their environment. They want to enjoy the time they spend outside.