let the sun do the smiling

It is the biggest, saddest looking dog in the world. It clearly takes after its owner, who wears terribly slovenly clothes and boasts a head of unkempt hair. They seem to spend their lives walking around and around the park. But then, maybe they think the same about me. They’re a stark contrast to myself and the others who seem delighted that the sun is beaming down on London for a third day. It’s impossible to deny the endorphins brought on by a rush of Vitamin D, replenishing a tank that has been emptied during the long winter months. Once again, I question how it is we all manage to get through the dreary days and long nights, the cold, the grey skies. It is surely in expectation of a day like today. 
I feel Fox may start to question my commitment to my studies when he returns home to find me an even deeper shade of pink than when he left for work this morning. It is perfectly acceptable to study in the park!
During my hours of solitary study, my only companions are Dickens, Austen, Shakespeare and their fellow literary ‘greats’.It is therefore advantageous that I am not at all distracted by those whom I may encounter in the park: children playing and the ‘cool kids’ returning from school; friends kicking a ball around; dogs chasing other dogs…owners chasing dogs, chasing other dogs; runners, joggers and those who make walking seem like a chore; guys and girls revealing their pasty bodies after months of hibernation, all in the name of a tan; and the quirky little man with his melancholy dog. And it is this pair whom I regard the highest, for they remain true to themselves, come winter or summer. It would seem that their mantra is, ‘Why smile when the sun can do it for you?’ Good for them. As for me, I just can’t keep the smile off my face.