Mar 9, 2012 6 min read

…I admit that sometimes I can be quite forgetful. Blame it on a hectic schedule, or maybe even my old age…But the bottom line is, sometimes I just forget things. Even when they’re important things.

For example, I just remembered as I began typing this column that it was just a little over a year ago that my wife and I brought home a bundle of joy that would forever change our lives, for the better. A baby girl who has brought us much laughter and warmth and who has brought us even closer together as a happily married couple.

A baby girl who has a wet nose, who never wants to stop playing and who loves to have her belly rubbed.

Yes, it is hard to believe that our dog Lexi has been a part of the Barrett family for over a year now. I will never forget that cold February day, when I was covering a Steelers Rally on the courthouse steps and I ran into a few of the good folks from the Humane Society.

While I was talking to them, I noticed a cute little puppy in a cage that the Humane Society had brought along to the rally, in the hopes of finding people to adopt a few of their dogs, as well as to raise awareness for the shelter.

Now, before I go on I have to admit something: All throughout my life, I had never been a dog person.

I was always a cat guy, as I have enjoyed special friendships with many felines during my childhood, adolescent and adult years, but never dogs. I don’t know why…I guess I always thought cats were great because of their independence and attitude, while I believed dogs were slobbering, noisy, less-intelligent creatures that relied way too much on human help. (There was always something annoying to me about dogs having to be taken outside to relieve themselves, while cats could just do their duty in a box.)

Several years ago we had to say goodbye to our cat Morris after 15 years, and that was one of the most difficult things I ever had to do.

After that, my wife and I decided that it would be a long time before we ever took on the responsibility of owning another animal…and I vowed that we would never have a dog, stubbornly believing that I would never have the same closeness with an animal that would require a great deal of responsibility and too much of my attention.

And then, on that fateful February day, without warning, my whole world changed.

Glancing down at the cage at the rally, I saw an eight-week-old tiny puppy staring at me, its sad eyes wide open and its little tail wagging ferociously, desperately wanting my attention, wanting me to scoop her up in my arms. I obliged, only to receive many kisses and so much affection that my heart melted.

And after 42 long years, it only took a few seconds to officially become a dog person.

While holding her, I called my wife and said something I never thought I’d say: “Honey, I’m bringing home a puppy.”

It has been a year since our baby Lexi came into our lives, and every day she has been a blessing for us. No longer a puppy in size, she weighs close to 60 pounds and has gotten quite big. But she still is — and always will be — our baby. We are fortunate to have such a loving, obedient dog that brings so much joy into our lives.

I guess what has surprised me the most is just how great it is to have a dog in your life…In addition to being a friend, a playmate and a protector, a dog can actually teach you a few important things. For example, I’ve learned that no matter how rotten your day is, no matter how stressful your life is, no matter how bad a mood you’re in, you always go home to a loved one who is excited to see you, who is ready to play with a squeaky toy, whose life is dedicated to loving you unconditionally. And that’s pretty awesome.

They say that owning a dog keeps people happier and healthier, and for the past year I have been able to discover just how true that is. It just makes me sad that it’s taken me over four decades to learn first-hand just how special “Man’s Best Friend” can truly be.

Now, if I could only train her to go to the bathroom in a litter box so I wouldn’t have to take her for a walk in the middle of the night, my life would be complete …

…By the way, don’t forget this weekend to set the clocks ahead one hour for Daylight Saving Time, that time of year when we lose an hour of sleep but we will enjoy daylight a little while longer each day.

(The extra hour of daylight will once again undoubtedly cause a great debate between me and a few of my friends, in which we argue over whether or not we gained or lost an hour of sleep. No matter how many years go by, we always waste an hour over this silly argument.)

This is also the traditional time of year that I remind readers of some information that was passed on to me a few years back by the county’s emergency management services department: Daylight saving time is the perfect time to change the battery in your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, and to maybe think about getting more than one smoke detector installed in your home.

I have also had emergency management personnel tell me in the past that when fire departments respond to emergency calls they typically find that many houses do not have detectors installed. Officials also wanted us to remind everyone that houses that have more than one floor should have a working detector on each floor, and all smoke detectors should be thoroughly checked to make sure they are working properly.

This is all good advice that we hope our readers will take to heart…