Charlie’s Corner is the domain of Charlie, the furry four-legged lady’s man of Market Common. Each month, he’ll share information to help all new, visiting, and existing doggie community members get the most out of life alongside their human companions. Here, we’ll feature his reflections on what it’s like to be a dashing downtown doggie, as he reminds all of us how to play well together.
This month, Charlie casts wide his net and expands into horizons unchartered.
The other day I was nosing about in the kitchen cabinets because I think it’s a fun thing to do when I’m tired of napping, playing with chew toys, or admiring butterflies in my off-hours (and if I happen to find an abandoned dog treat or two I won’t complain, so really it’s a win-win). And after snuffling around in one such cabinet, I found this old interesting-looking glass bottle with a wire seal-tight lid.
I liked the look of it, and decided to add it to my personal collection of “Charlie’s Special Things” along with one of Jim’s slippers that I shredded to near bits and he didn’t want back and am very fond of; my favorite chew toy— a blow fish that I’ve affectionately named Puff; and a blue crayon that surprisingly I never tried to eat, but just liked the color of so I held onto it.
There it sat, that glass bottle, as I pondered throughout the week, the endless possibilities of not only its origins but also its future potential. Maybe I could store sand in it, so that when it’s too chilly outside for my paws, I’ll still have the ocean with me. Maybe I could keep flowers in it. Maybe I could keep dog treats in it. Wait, who am I kidding— I never store dog treats, I eat dog treats!
And then… it hit me. The fate of the glass bottle would be tied to my own destiny. I would write a letter questing after kindred spirits in faraway lands and cast it into the ocean. Kind of like an archaic form of text messaging.
So here I am, ready with my trusty crayon to write a letter.
Hi! My name is Charlie. I live by the ocean in sunny Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. I’m a maltipoo-Bichon mix, have my own column in The Coastal Insider, and lots of fans and followers who love me. I found this old bottle in my kitchen and decided to turn it into an international cell phone. Would you like to be my pen pal? I have a warm heart and am very friendly. My favorite things to do are chase ducks, get belly rubs, eat, and nap. Write me back and put it in this bottle. It will be our secret method of communication. I can’t wait to be your friend.
Yours,
Charlie
Okay. It’s ready. Now all I need to do is roll it up, stick it in my new bottle-cell phone, and I’m off to the ocean to allow fate and the waves to carry it to distant shores where my pen-pal-friend-to-be is living.
I wonder who will find it? Will it be found by a girl or boy dog? Will it be found by a person? Will it ever be found at all? I’m so excited I can hardly stand it.
I wonder what country my new friend-to-be will be from? Morocco? Australia? Italy? Easter Island? Guam?
I kind of hope that it’s Guam just because I like saying that word. It kind of reminds me of something I can eat. And who doesn’t want a new best friend from a place that sounds like a giant cupcake with whipped cream on top?
I’ll keep you posted.
Until next time,
