Get these mutts away from me

It seems it only takes two things to keep residents of South Beach happy - a cell phone and a dog, usually a pit bull. The taller pit bulls are beautiful dogs that terrify me but, in all the years I have come here, I have only been accosted once by a yapping dog. It happened at the opening to the board walk. A young woman was walking two dogs on leashes and one got away. I was the nearest target and it ran up to me and around me, barking all the time. I wasn't thrilled. Its owner was calling it to get back to her. To stop the dog, I took a chance and stepped on its leash that was trailing behind him. I somehow got too close to his head and brought him to a screeching halt. I doubt I will ever forget the stunned look on its face when the leash went taught and took him to the ground. The owner arrived and thanked me before the dog could seek revenge. It was a beautiful purebred, but somehow, somewhat scary. I didn't know it was a pit bull until my daughter told me when I pointed one out in the park.

If you have never been to South Beach, let me describe the "board" walk for you (most of it is cement from 5th to 23rd Streets but beyond it is actually a board walk). Any way, it is a curving path that is bordered by a coral wall on the ocean side and a grass park on the other. Across from the park is Ocean Drive on which there are 11 blocks of art deco hotels, really quite unique. I usually walk/run the 17 blocks to the actual board walk and back. The board walk is crowded with people trying to walk without bumping into texters and dog walkers and all the while avoiding guys on bikes, on segues, on skate boards and roller blades. Most of these human obstacles are competent on their vehicles but, not all of them. I almost got knocked over by a girl on roller blades. She came up from behind and I didn't hear her because my ipod was at maximum loudness. She brushed by me and I could see she was an amateur, a beautiful, totally incompetent, young woman in a bikini. Her arms were flailing around, trying to keep balance. Her feet movements were awkward and tentative. She wore all the necessary protection, except for one - no helmet. As she continued around a bend, I heard a curse as someone went down. I hoped it wasn't the girl because if it was, she could have serious head/brain problems. It wasn't her but a skateboader who had tried to jump over power lines crossing the boardwalk to power the Wine and Food Festival on the beach. The skater had no head protection either, but was skilled enough not to have hurt himself. The girl got to the power lines, stopped, and held onto a pole to step over them. Smart. But I thought to myself that she would rather look good with no helmet than protect her brain, the only organ that can't be repaired. Her vanity trumped her health.

There is some thought that a serious bump on the head can commence the downward slide into PD. It probably takes more than one bump, but who knows. I suffered only one serious head knock when I stepped on a puck during a hockey practice. I was down and momentarily "out" in a blink of an eye and look at me now. I am not saying that one bump caused my dopamine cells to start dying, but, as I said who knows? So here's some advice to the beautiful people, start a trend, protect your brain, wear a helmet when going faster than nature intended.

Remember, only the lead dog gets a change in scenery.