A Sense of Understanding by Aleksandra Skutnik

Inspired by “A Sense of Wonder” by Rachel Carson

I felt tired. Still stuffed from scrambled eggs and glasses of orange juice, I lay on my couch in a full fit of pajamas. Rays of sunlight burst through the thin openings of the dark curtains, illuminating the red, brown, and black accents of my living room. My eyes were glued to the smudged screen of my phone on a hot summer day. While staring mindlessly at the technology in my hand, Cody, my dog, whined from the kitchen as he scratched at the back door- his universal sign for “let me out!”. I groaned and made my way to the back door. Jumping with joy, Cody snagged the green spikey ball into his strong-jawed mouth and pushed it towards me with his wet nose. I snatched the ball and threw it across the length of our lawn. Sun rays hit my freckled skin and the smooth wind danced between the follicles of my waved hair. Cody came running back, drool dripping down the corners of his mouth. We sat in the lawn, ball being thrown back and forth in the midst of a perfectly admirable summer day.

I always believed that animals put themselves first, but it seemed as though Cody knew he needed to break me out of the technological brainwash. As I reminisce the warm summer days, I now understand that Cody wanted to show me what living in the moment really means. It was as if he dragged me outside for my benefit. So I had sat beneath the cloudless sky, allowing the molecules of pollen and those of a distant barbeque find their way up my nose. Leaves on my neigbors oak tree stirred against the wind as Cody’s nose twitched and eyes sparkled- suddenly, I didn’t feel tired anymore.