It was raining this morning, so that may be why I'm perturbed about the whole thing. Walking a dog in the rain is miserable and multifaceted. First, the dog will not go outside. Anyone who has a dog in the house understands this. They will refuse to go out in the rain, even if an accident is eminent. So here I am, dragging Freddy by the collar out into the rain so he can do his business, and immediately, I am confronted by the problems of the city. I wonder, "Will someone report this as abuse if they see me dragging my dog?" At least Freddy seems to forget about the rain once he gets wet. Step one: complete.
We begin the first part of our journey, again in the rain, to the dog-potty station. That's right folks, a dog-potty station (which is really a 3'x4' box made of 1x6's filled with #2 stone that keeps urine off the sidewalk for about 2 seconds until it runs out the bottom). Rant over. I assume there are dogs that will use this; Freddy will not. So we trudge on, again in the rain, to our first of at least 4 crosswalks.
As mentioned before, we live in Detroit. The city is in bankruptcy proceedings, and there isn't a lot of money for things like mowing the grass, or sweeping the streets. So Freddy and I trudge on, in the rain, avoiding toppled constructions signs and shattered Evan Williams bottles on the sidewalks. We also have to avoid some homeless people. We live across the street from the Wayne County Building, which is the beautiful and historic county courthouse, which is for sale.
I'll be honest and frank here. I understand that the unemployment rate in Detroit is 23% (the highest of any major city in the US). I also understand that the city can't afford to spend the time and energy to rid it's downtown of vagrants when the crime rate is so high in many of the neighborhoods. And, most of the time, there is no issue. Many nights, and mornings, we quietly walk by men sleeping in the windows of the county building or have a quick conversation with those hanging outside the liquor store before it opens asking for change. After living in New York, this is not a problem. Issues arise from that small percentage of the homeless community who are mentally ill. My heart goes out to these men, and if they are receptive and responsive, I direct them to the nearest shelter and resources. However, we have been followed, yelled at, and barked at by these men. In the suburbs, you would call the police; in the city, you go about your business. Except, as you can imagine, Freddy gets nervous, barks back, and tries to pull and chase after these men. This usually exacerbates the problem.
We reach the next three crosswalks that traverse the intersection to Cadillac Square (the park where Freddy does his business) and our tension lessons, though we're still in the rain. At least traffic in Detroit is minimal. Compared to New York and New Jersey driving in Detroit feels liberating. If we time it right, and especially on weekends, Freddy and I may not even have to follow traffic signals in the crosswalks. However, our building also shares a parking garage with General Motors, and if we time it during the morning commute, Freddy and I may get run over.
Cadillac Square is a nice small park with a single path and grass on both sides. It is nestled among high rises in the heart of downtown. So I stand, in the rain, and wait for Freddy to do his thing while attempting to prevent him from eating the various chicken bones and other rubbish cast about by visitors to the various entertainment opportunities in the downtown area. When he's done, we re-run the gauntlet back to our building, in the rain, and I steer clear of our neighbors who don't desire a wet dog jumping on their clean clothes. We take the elevator up to the 29th floor, and as I walk in the door and look out the floor to ceiling windows overlooking downtown, I can't believe I live here.
Detroit is a city alive. It throbs with an intensity unlike others I've visited. Boston is old and proud. D.C., is focused. Manhattan is bustling and overflowing. Chicago is welcoming. But Detroit is alive, and I love it for that.
I grew up on a farm. Family down the road, neighbors dropping by, and dogs that stayed outside were part of that daily experience. I've often said that I won't own another inside dog, but there is something incredibly similar in walking Freddy in the rain and feeding cows at 6:00 AM before school. There's a rhythm to his needs that is calming, and it's a calm only experienced through animal husbandry. It's a rhythm that reminds us of nature, and cycles, and the regular patterns of life. I don't always get to witness those rhythms, and cycles, and patterns in the city. I can't wake up and look out at a field of soybeans. I can't check on a first-calf-heifer at 3:00 AM. I can take my dog for a walk. I can walk in the rain.
We all need the rain.