A Miserable Life

Daniela Stewart

ENG - 105

October 3, 2012

Kristen DiCaprio

A Miserable life

My neighbor Aaron seems to have a strange relationship with his dog Skipper. They are always together and even look and act the same, however, I've noticed that Aaron's moods seem to always be in a state of unhappiness, which stands out when he brings his dog in public because his dog seems to mimic his personality. In the many instances that we have seen each other and talked, I have always found their relationship to be somewhat superficial, because even though Skipper seems to be Aaron's only companion, they seem to be unhappy together, which I feel signifies the farce of fear in our everyday lives.

Both, Aaron and Skipper have blondish hair, a long muzzle, and I believe Skipper has taken on his owner's hunched demeanor and lifeless facial expression. Skipper is ten years old and was adopted by Aaron from a local shelter when he was eight weeks old. Through many conversations with Aaron, I have been informed that the two companions are inseparable and live a simple scheduled routine life. They enjoy a structured schedule, where time is of the essence. There is a common saying that "misery loves company" which I feel truly applies to my neighbor Aaron and his dog Skipper. Aaron adopted Skipper after his wife and daughter passed away in a tragic car accident a little over ten years ago. After Aaron locked himself up in his house for months, he made a conscious decision to adopt Skipper so that he would have some companionship.

The relationship between Aaron and Skipper seems to be extremely illogical. They have done the same thing every day in the same order for over the last ten years. Life is about routine, and Aaron will not allow Skipper to bark, play outside, or act like a normal playful dog. He expects Skipper to be constantly by his side and obedient to his every word. I feel as though Aaron needs to make sure his dog is as unhappy as he is just because he is the owner. I've always wondered; why I have never seen Aaron crack a smile or even attempt to enjoy Skipper's companionship. They spend hours on their porch looking miserable, depressed, and lifeless. Their emotions feed of each other's and their moods transcend throughout our neighborhood.

One of the worst situations I've observed was when Skipper ran away from home. Aaron looked for the dog everywhere and became so extremely upset that he was unable to sleep or even focus for days. I could not understand the reasons why Aaron was so desperate to find his dog, because he seems so negative towards Skipper when he is around. My father saw the desperation in Aaron's eyes because of Skipper and suggested that Aaron adopt a new dog, to which he sadly