Why Dogs Stick Their Heads Out Car Windows

Long, long ago, when the planet was old, but life was new, a creature emerged from the shallows of the primordial sea and crawled up onto a pebbly beach. It was a fishy thing, but it was not a fish, it was something that had never existed before in this part of the universe. Holding its head in the air it could detect a smoky tang on the wind, which was unlike anything it had perceived before. It did not know what fire was, and so it was more curious than afraid, but holding itself up on its finny feet was taxing, and so it did not linger long on the shore. As it slipped back beneath the water it thought it heard a voice whisper “Come back,” but, too exhausted to comply, the creature returned to its den among some submerged boulders.

Before it could fall asleep, The Sea spoke to it. “I heard you met my sister,” said The Sea.

“I heard a voice, but I do not know who spoke,” replied the creature.

“That was The Wind,” said The Sea, “She is lonely and told me She wishes you would visit Her again.”

“Okay,” said the creature, as it drifted off to sleep.

The next day the creature, having eaten its fill of algae, again struggled up onto the shore and stood on the pebbly beach. “Hello?” it said, hesitantly.

A slight breeze arose, carrying with it a soft voice which replied “Hello.”

“I didn’t know The Sea had a sister,” said the creature.

“She has three sisters,” replied The Wind.

“Three?” asked the creature, adding, “She is all I have ever known.”

“Air, Water, Earth, and Fire,” said The Wind, “You are Our child.”

“The Sea is all I have ever known,” repeated the creature.

“She is the youngest of Us,” replied The Wind, “though She was old when you arrived.”

“What am I?” asked the creature.

“You are Life,” said The Wind.

“What am I supposed to do?” asked the creature.

“I do not know,” replied The Wind, “My sisters and I are obligated to dance with each other until all returns to The Void. You are different.”

“How so?” asked the creature.

“You are free to make your own choices,” said The Wind, “We would be jealous were you not Our child.”

“I have never heard The Earth speak,” said the creature.

“Her deep voice is beyond the range of your hearing,” said The Wind, “but sometimes She fights with Our sister Fire and it is cacophonous.”

“What is Fire?” asked the creature.

“See that rise beyond the beach?” inquired The Wind, “Go there tonight when it is dark and I will show you.”

The creature walked along the beach a bit, returning its gaze to the hill The Wind had indicated. It wasn’t far, but it wasn’t close for one who had only recently learned to walk. After some time the creature returned to the water to nap until the sun went down.

When the creature awakened, all was dark, but it knew its way well and returned to the beach. Having never seen the night sky before it was awed by the vast scope of star studded blackness above, and made its way slowly up the rise The Wind had specified. When it was halfway up the earthy mound it stopped to rest. “You can do it,” said The Wind.

A short time later it stood atop the hill, trying to make sense of what it was seeing. The only light it had ever seen was the sun, but across the wide expanse of the water it could see a red glow in the distance. The creature did not know what a volcanic island was, but as it watched, the distant mountain far off in the sea erupted, sending bright blasts of bright lava into the sky. A short time later a thunder-like rumble of sound washed over it. The creature was afraid.

“Is that Fire?” asked the creature.

“Yes,” said The Wind, “and you must keep your distance from Her if you wish to survive.”

“She is beautiful,” replied the creature.

“Yes,” said The Wind, blowing across the creature in an attempt to comfort it, which worked, and so began a friendship.

Each day and some nights the creature would crawl out of the water and speak with the wind, who would answer what questions she could as she caressed the creature with her breath. They spoke of The Sun, which was Fire, and The Stars, which were also Fire, and how all of everything everywhere was related.

“I love you,” said the creature to The Wind one day.

“And I you,” She replied.

“What happens next?” asked the creature.

“I hope you will have children of your own,” said The Wind, “And I hope you will bring them to the beach so that I may love them as well.”

In time the creature spawned, and shortly thereafter many of its offspring wandered the beach. The Wind loved them all. Eventually the creature grew old.

One evening, as the sun was setting and the now-grown children walked along the shore below, the creature said “I don’t think I will be back tomorrow.”

The wind caressed it and said, “I know.”

“What happens next?” asked the creature.

“I will always love you,” said the wind.

“And I you,” said the creature.

The creature did not return to the beach, but its children did, and their children ventured farther onto the land. The planet circled the sun millions and millions and millions of times. There were calamities and catastrophes, but the creature’s children persevered, changing and adapting to the world around them as their bloodlines branched in millions of different directions. Most of these lines failed to survive, but many did. All of everything everywhere is related.

Just now, at this very moment, a dog thrusts its head through the window of a car driving down a country road. The Wind ruffles its fur as thousands of scents fill its nostrils. “I love you,” says the dog.

“And I you,” says The Wind.