This evening, before sitting down to another wholesome dinner, I finished one of the most humorous and inspiring books written since (in my opinion) James Herriot's "All Creatures Great and Small Series." One of the greatest actors that I look up to is John O'Hurley, who recently published the touching book "It's Okay to Miss the Bed on the First Jump And Other Life Lessons I Learned from Dogs." Some of you might quickly recognize this newly found author as J. Peterman from one of the greatest shows of all time, you guessed it, Seinfeld. He currently hosts the game show "Family Feud" and if any of you have seen him, has been hosting NBC's National Dog Show Presented by Purina every Thanksgiving Day for five years now. It has been a solid tradition for me from the beginning to tune in for the two plus hours watching the various breeds of dogs at their finest. I can't resist including this quote from John O'Hurley: "Only one thing remains constant: dogs like being dogs, and they like being the dogs they are." That pretty much sums up every dog I have ever known, and reading this story of how dogs have touched O'Hurley and has shaped who he is as a person, really gave me sense of gratitude for the joy a dog can bring to your life by just being himself. I found that I could easily relate to O'Hurley's book. His childhood growing up and his adolescence was extremely similar to what I have gone through. From his relationships with family members that seemed to slip away from him before he was ready to say goodbye, to standing up for what he believed was right, even when it seemed like he was alone in the world. The only ones who were constantly there to comfort him were his dogs. Like John O'Hurley, I have grown up with dogs my entire life, and constantly found myself going to them to talk to before even considering going to my elders. Spending time with a dog just makes life seem a little simpler and can melt away any emotion or problem you are struggling with. For the past two years a piece of my life has seemed to be missing. Not being able to go outside with a friend who always managed to understand what I was thinking and how I was feeling really tears me up sometimes, but yet something as simple as a book can relieve some of that pain. Someone who understands the power that just a smile, or in a dog's case, a smile and a wag of the tail can bring to another is hard to find in the fast-paced society that we live in today. But thanks to John O'Hurley and the dogs that have crossed anyone's life's path, we can all stop to appreciate one another, and just as important, take the time to be happy with ourselves. I have yet to meet a dog that isn't satisfied with his self image and personality. I don't care if you're a dog lover or not, this book is bound to make you a better person. I believe anyone who reads this book will learn something about themselves that has been under their noses for so long but has always been glanced over too fast to realize. Thank you John O'Hurley for making life a little simpler and for bringing back memories that have been resting in the back of my brain for far too long.
