The Shrinking Man

He was a familiar figure to the other
habitues, given to strolling along the
trails close by the neighbourhood of
homes fortunate enough to enjoy the
wooded ravine, so readily approachable.
This man, a gregarious personality,
loped along the trails. He leaned
angularly against the prevailing winds
and forged his way through the many
meandering trails, as a regular hiker.

He had a companion, a very tall and
very black Labrador, matching in
appearance, the towering size of its
guardian. For every two strides forward
most trekkers took, this man took one,
carrying him expeditiously along, his dog
trotting beside him. They were clearly
devoted to one another, the dog and the
man. They no longer, though, represent
familiar figures to those who recall them
with fond memories of camaraderie.

The dog had lived out the years allotted it,
and his companion mourned his faithful
dog's absence. No longer any reason to
perambulate through the woods. He was,
however, often seen about the near
neighbourhood and the rapid alteration
in the physical appearance of this man
distressed those who had long known him.

His height became vastly diminished as
his neck crooked forward, resembling
that of a turtle. Instead of a turtle's
carapace, his back had curved into the
very realization of a hopeless shell. Now,
he cranes forward, head faced down to the
pavement he now favours, walking along
the urban streets contiguous to the woods.

He is not alone now in his long rambles
through the area. For he adopted another
canine whose promise as a pup could be
theorized in the size of its massive paws.
The Russian wolfhound grew as rapidly as
its owner's immense size diminished. One
imbued with a lust for life, the other become
an amazing shrinking man, folded over
into himself, barely recognizable.

The reduced quality of life for the two
million men and women with osteoporosis
in Canada is enormous.