“Hey mom, took the leap of faith today in the Pet Olympics’ Vacuum Hurdle event. Yes, you heard it right, your faith made me face my biggest fear. Not just faced, I conquered it! I’m now the sun-bathing, bone-gnawing champ of Spencerville! Let’s celebrate tomorrow at Bark and Bites. Love, Butters.”

Listen to the story here.

Well, there I was, lazing under the crystal-clear skies of Spencerville, basking under the radiant sun, half-listening to Squirt and Star who were already planning to accompany me to the Black Bulldog Bay. That’s when I caught a whiff of a distinct comedy and drama unfolding in the air. The Spencerville Annual Pet Olympics was back, baby!

The competition was the talk of the town and every pet in Spencerville, from Corgi Castle to Beagle Beach, was gearing up to outshine each other. You could almost hear “Chariots of Fire” playing in the backgrounds of The Snooty Snout Boutique and The Howling Husky Hardware Store. Beloved mom entered me every year, always convinced that this would be my time to shine – her faith in my sports ability was bordering delusional. But, love her to bits as I do, how could I let her down?

Despite my hefty build that is more suited to lounging and bone-gnawing than high jumps and sprints, I, Buddy, the brown and white English Bulldog, decided to chuck it up and give my all in this coat and tooth affair. My routine was simple, out on the field in the morning, basking in the sun while others sweated and strained, ‘observe and conquer’, that was my strategy baby!

Just a week into the preparations, a potential hindrance to my easy-going Olympic journey popped up: The Vacuum Hurdling event. My hatred for vacuums is no secret in Spencerville, and like every year, this was a test posed by the universe in my otherwise laid-back life.

I tried to negotiate, “Surely, they’d replace the vacuum hurdle with a Frisbee or, even better, a nice bone?” But no, this was the event that got the crowd cheering and the organizers believed in keeping the tradition alive. However, the spirit of Spencerville and my mom’s faith in me kept me going, not to forget the friendly banter and playful nudges I got from my kitty siblings.

The fateful day arrived, and there I was, standing at the start line for the Vacuum Hurdling event. Looking at the ominous machines lined up before me, I felt a burst of adrenaline, or was it fear? Regardless, I took off – Spencerville watching, mom cheering, Squirt and Star squealing in excitement. And wouldn’t you know it, I screwed up my courage and leaped like a baller over those horrid things. It wasn’t pretty, but it got done.

With the hurdle cleared, so to speak, I took a victory nap under the sun, got up again for some celebratory sushi at The Cat’s Meow Sushi and then ended the day high on success and naruto rolls. Buddy, The English Bulldog, the Vacuum hurdle conqueror, the sun-bathing, bone-gnawing champ of Spencerville and most importantly, mom’s pride! It was quite the day, and as I drifted off to sleep next to mom, I looked forward to the stories and laughs we’d share tomorrow at the Bark and Bites. That’s life in Spencerville, folks!

The End.