Dog, dog, dog.
Dog, dog, dog... I walked and pondered.
...Yesterday, I was reading about the mechanisms of creating phobias. The next section was about how to deal with them through logotherapy. But I didn't read it. That's why I turned back in my morning walk, a hundred meters before the dog that blocked my path.
I had already encountered it last time, and Dog barked at me fiercely then.
And this time, all those same mechanisms described in the book came into play. From the middle of the walk, thoughts started swirling around that dog I was supposed to meet today. Different scenarios played out in my mind, imagining how it could be and what I would do.
I tried to cling to the meaning of my walk, to think about the meaning rather than the dog. It worked only when a big deer ran past right in front of me, and my attention shifted to the little fawn following behind.
But thinking about meaning didn't last long. There lies the dog in the middle of the road. And there I am, turning back. We'll meet again next time. Maybe I'll cook some meat for Dog, and we will stay friends.
But today I saw deer. And there, another deer appeared, the phone camera capturing their gaze at each other. I even came up with a saying: "Who wakes up early meets deer in the forest."
Oh, here's another one. Maybe someone knows which bird sings so sweetly and hisses like a cat at the end?"