I pride myself on being a good man of German descent, a stiff upper lip all the time, never show your emotion. To top it off she was just a dog, or at least that was what I kept telling myself each time I lost it. I just couldn’t explain the deep sense of emptiness and sadness I felt, and for a dog.
kAm#@@ H2D C62==J xD224’D 5@8] $96 42>6 7C@> 2 =:EE6C @7 AFAA:6D H6 925[ 2?5 96 A:4<65 96C :>>65:2E6=J] (6 E@=5 9:> 96 H2D :? 4@==686[ =:G65 :? E@H? 2?5 5:5 ?@E 92G6 E:>6 7@C 2 AFAAJ] pD FDF2=[ 96 5:5 ?@E =:DE6? E@ FD 2?5 4=2:>65 E96 2H<H2C5[ 4FC=J 92:C65[ 82?8=J AFA] s66A 5@H? :?D:56 x <?6H E92E #@@ H@F=5 4@>6 E@ =:G6 H:E9 FD 2E D@>6 A@:?E]k^Am
kAmxD224 H@C<65 92C5 H:E9 #@@[ 2?5 D96 3=@@>65 :?E@ 2 C62==J 8@@5 5@8 E92E H2D 7F? E@ 36 2C@F?5] w6 E2F89E 96C >2??6CD[ 5:D4:A=:?6 2?5 9@H E@ 76E49] |@C6 :>A@CE2?E=J 96 E2F89E 96C 9@H E@ 96C5 42EE=6 2?5 D966A[ 2?5 D96 H2D A2CE:4F=2C=J FD67F=] x 6?;@J65 E96 E:>6D #@@ 42>6 @FE E@ E96 72C>[ 2=E9@F89 x 5:5 ?@E E6== xD224 E92E] x 4@F=5?’E =6E 9:> E9:?< 96 925 >256 2 8@@5 564:D:@? <66A:?8 96C]k^Am
kAm%96? 42>6 9:D :?E6C?D9:A :? }@CE9 s2<@E2] $96 4@F=5?’E 8@ H:E9 9:>] %92E >62?E >J AC6>@?:E:@? 42>6 ECF6 2?5 D96 42>6 E@ =:G6 H:E9 y6??:76C 2?5 >6] (6 H6C6 DE2F?49 :? E96 724E E92E H6 5:5 ?@E H2?E 2 5@8 :? E96 9@FD6[ 3FE BF:4<=J #@@ H@C>65 96C H2J :? 3J 2=E6C?2E:?8 36EH66? 36:?8 A2E96E:4 2?5 24E:?8 =:<6 D96 @H?65 E96 A=246]k^Am
kAmx =:G65 :? 762C E92E D@>6E9:?8 H@F=5 92AA6? E@ 96C 3642FD6 x <?6H 9@H >F49 xD224 925 3@?565 H:E9 96C] %96? DF556?=J[ x 7@F?5 >JD6=7 92F=:?8 96C 6G6CJH96C6 H:E9 >6] xD224 C6EFC?65 2E E96 6?5 @7 E96 DF>>6C 2?5 C64=2:>65 96C] $96 H2D 92AAJ E@ D66 9:> 3FE 3J E96? D96 925 364@>6 2 C62= 72C> 5@8[ 2?5 x DFDA64E65 D96 C62==J H2?E65 E@ 36 @FED:56 >@DE @7 E96 E:>6]k^Am
kAm%96? 42>6 xD224’D 8C25F2E6 D49@@=[ 282:? :? }@CE9 s2<@E2[ 2?5 :E H2D 564:565 E92E #@@ H@F=5 4@>6 =:G6 H:E9 FD @? 2 >@C6 A6C>2?6?E 32D:D] x EC:65 E@ 24E =:<6 x 925 E@=5 9:> E9:D H@F=5 92AA6? 3FE D64C6E=J x H2D E9C:==65]k^Am
kAm#@@ 925 >@C6 A6CD@?2=:EJ E92? 2?J @E96C 5@8 x 925 6G6C 366? 2C@F?5] x 92G6 ?6G6C D66? 2 5@8 H:E9 >@C6 724:2= 6IAC6DD:@?D @C D@F?5D] x DH62C J@F 4@F=5 92G6 2 4@?G6CD2E:@? H:E9 96C 2?5 D96 F?56CDE@@5] v@@5 5@8D 2C6 D@>6H92E 86?6E:4[ x DFAA@D6[ 3FE x 2=D@ <?@H E92E E96 >@C6 E:>6 J@F DA6?5 H:E9 2 5@8[ E96 36EE6C E96J 2C6]k^Am
kAmx 92G6 2=H2JD 366? 2 5@8 A6CD@?] x 5@?’E E9:?< E96C6 :D 2? 2?:>2= x =:<6 >@C6 E92? 5@8D] x 92G6 366? 2C@F?5 D6G6C2= :? >J =:76[ 3FE E96C6 H2D ;FDE D@>6E9:?8 23@FE #@@ E92E >256 96C DA64:2=] pE 7:CDE[ D96 H2D 56AC6DD65 H96? xD224 =67E 96C H:E9 FD] $96 >@A65 2C@F?5 E96 9@FD6[ 2?5 H96? 96 42>6 9@>6[ D96 H@F=5 492C86 @FE E@ 8C66E 9:>]k^Am
kAmx 5:5 H92E 96 E@=5 >6[ 2?5 x 92F=65 96C 6G6CJH96C6 H:E9 >6] x DA6?E >@C6 9@FCD H:E9 96C E92? ;FDE 23@FE 2?J @E96C =:G:?8 36:?8] (6 3@?565 2?5 D@@? D96 H2D FAD6E H96? x H@F=5 8@ @? EC:AD] $96 H@F=5 36 E96C6 E@ 8C66E >6 H96? x 8@E 9@>6]k^Am
kAm(6 925 2 C@FE:?6] x? E96 >@C?:?8 H6 H@F=5 5@ 49@C6D] (6 H@F=5 5:D4FDD E96 FA4@>:?8 52J H9:=6 x AFE >J 3@@ED @? :? E96 >@C?:?8] $96 H@F=5 36 3J >J D:56 2D H6 765 2?5 <6AE E96 D966A 2?5 4@HD 2E 2 D276 5:DE2?46] (6 @7E6? 5:D4FDD65 E96 >@C?:?8 2D H6 5C@G6 7C@> 6249 8C@FA @7 4@HD] $96 :?D:DE65 @? DE2?5:?8 @? E96 4@?D@=6[ 2?5 x :?D:DE65 E92E D96 D:E :? E96 A2DD6?86C D62E] %92E H2D F?E:= H6 925 2 9F>2? A2DD6?86C 2?5 D96 H@F=5 :?5:8?2?E=J 8@ 36EH66? E96 324< D62E 2?5 E96 4@?D@=6]k^Am
kAm{F?49E:>6 H@F=5 7:?5 FD H2E49:?8 E96 >2C<6E C6A@CE 2?5 5:D4FDD:?8 :E :? 56AE9] %96 27E6C?@@? H2D >@C6 H@C<] $96 5:5 ?@E =:<6 36:?8 =67E 369:?5[ 2?5 C2C6=J 5:5 x =62G6 96C]k^Am
kAm~?6 @7 96C 72G@C:E6 E9:?8D E@ 5@ 2E ?:89E H2D E@ =2J 24C@DD >J 766E 2D H6 H2E4965 %'] #@@’D 72G@C:E6 E9:?8 E@ H2E49 H6C6 E96 49F4<H28@? C246D] x ?6G6C 5:5 F?56CDE2?5 E92E @?6[ 3FE D96 H@F=5 DE2C6 2E E96 %' E96 H9@=6 E:>6 E96J H6C6 @?]k^Am
kAm$96 4@F=5 >2<6 >6 >2556C E92? 2?J 5@8 x 92G6 6G6C 366? 2C@F?5[ E@@] &DF2==J[ :E H2D @G6C 2 5:776C6?46 @7 @A:?:@? @? 9@H E@ >@G6 D966A @C 42EE=6] x7 J@F 496H65 @? 96C E@@ >F49 D96 H@F=5 ;FDE H:=E 2?5 A@FE E96 C6DE @7 E96 52J] ~E96C E:>6D D96 H@F=5 86E :? E96 A:4<FA 2?5 H2:E F?E:= x H2D?’E =@@<:?8 2?5 8:G6 >6 2 3:8 =:4< 24C@DD E96 7246]k^Am
kAm*629[ x 4C:65 H96? x 7@F?5 96C] x <?6H D96 H2D D:4<[ 3FE x 5:5?’E E9:?< D96 H2D E92E D:4<] p7E6C2==[ 5@8D =:G6 E@ 36 2E =62DE `d 2E @FC 9@FD6 2?5 D96 H2D @?=J f]k^Am
kAmx <?@H x H:== ?6G6C 92G6 2?@E96C #@@ 5@8] x 2> DFC6 E96C6 H:== 36 @E96CD[ 3FE ?@E 2?@E96C #@@] x 2> D25[ 3FE :E :D 86EE:?8 36EE6C 6249 52J] x 92G6 4@>6 E@ E96 C62=:K2E:@? E92E x H2D E96 =F4<J @?6 E@ 92G6 2 5@8 =:<6 E92E] }@ E:>6 H@F=5 6G6C 92G6 366? =@?8 6?@F89]k^Am
Glenn Brunkow is a fifth-generation farmer in the Northern Flint Hills of Pottawatomie County in Kansas. He was a county Extension educator for 19 years before returning to farm and ranch full time. He can be reached at editorial@midwestmessenger.com.
Catch the latest in Opinion
Get opinion pieces, letters and editorials sent directly to your inbox weekly!