Day: January 7, 2020

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 hops on the self-improvement wagon and turns over a new leaf to welcome the New Year. “Happy New Year to all of my fans and followers, as well as everyone else who isn’t a fan or follower of mine… you should be. Why aren’t you? I live for sharing my talents with the world.  Anyhow, 2020 is here! And not only are we celebrating a new year, but also a new decade. Wow, that feels so awe-inspiring to me. A new decade. Especially because I was just a wee-bitty puppy when last decade rolled around, so I don’t remember much about it. So this really feels like a milestone in my life.  Because it’s such a special New Year, it feels only appropriate that I make some New Year’s resolutions that equal the monumentality and grandness one feels from having entered a new decade.  I hereby commit to clean out my sock drawer.  Honestly, you should see it. It’s a veritable mess. No matter that I don’t wear socks, it’s just filled with stuff. And I’ve been putting off doing it for far too long.  New decade calls for an organized house. Plus, ever since one of my fans made me a holiday stocking which I wear constantly, more of my friends thought I’d appreciate a few more of them. So now I have a whole pile of them and I just stuff them in that drawer when they’re not in use, adding to the clutter.  But perhaps I should come up with something larger, more serious— something majestic.  I will make a list of things I can implement in my life to be the best version of myself.  Here goes:  Charlie’s New Year/New Decade Resolutions 1. Make more people smile by adopting my cutest faces ever when I’m in public.  2. Help humans combat stress by allowing them to pet me (that’s what I call a win-win).  3. Donate my chew toys and balls I’m no longer using to area shelters and those doggies who are less fortunate than me.  4. Foster more honest exchanges between myself and my people by sitting and lying down when I’m told without expecting a treat in exchange.  5. Reach out to those who are having a rough day with a loving doggie lick.  Just from making that list, I have a warm, snuggly feeling inside that I usually only get from curling up in my body sock, or on my human’s lap.  There is something to be said for self-reflection coupled with goal-setting. It’s empowering to hold oneself accountable— I feel more in control of my life, and have a stronger conviction that I can make a positive difference— just from making that list.  But I know from my doggie experience that setting intentions and keeping them are two different things. That’s why community support is so important, because the love you have for your community and vice versa will inspire you to be the best version of you when the going gets tough, (and I know that not whining for a treat, but receiving with gratitude what comes my way will be a tough one for me, perhaps even harder than organizing all those socks).  So let’s support one another. What are your New Year’s resolutions? I can’t wait to support you in being the best version of yourself too.  Until next time,