Sure, mean people suck. But where's the bumper sticker celebrating the Kindness of Strangers? There are so many awesome people that don't suck and I just want to give a little shout out to Awesome People Everywhere. To everyone who has ever stopped what they were doing to ease someone else's day, even just a little bit.
Lest you think this is a random, gushy post, let me tell you a little story. Lucy and I had a little ... um ... adventure this afternoon. I promised her we'd go to the river today. Didn't occur to me that everyone else in town might be there too. But once we got to the park, I was determined not to bail out. She gets so excited at "do you want to go to the river?" she comes barreling into the house with a stick in her mouth. She's packed. And then eagerly, she watches you pack her gear: poop bags, treats, towel, leash. Off to the river. Just as we pulled up, so did another couple with a lab, Jack. Jack was a little less eager than Lucy. Or, his owner was a lot stronger than me. Either way, they made their way down the hill in perfect form while Lucy and I lurched along, me trying not to loose my cool as well as keep my balance to avoid the Humpty Dumpty effect. It was a disaster. I can't think of the last time I got this dirty. We take Luce off her leash at the top of the hill so she is in the habit of running full speed into the river. This may not have been the best thing to teach her. She pulled free of my grip and pounced into the water as Jack's owner threw him a stick. Kids, dogs, people to play with everywhere. Lucy was beside herself with glee as she bounced along the water, leash trailing behind her. I started rolling up my overalls knowing I'd have to go in for her. Then, before I could stop it, she was bounding back toward me with a new doggie friend in tow. The only thing standing between me and these wildly delighted dogs was a blonde boy who learned how to stand maybe yesterday. His mom freaked out as she swooped him up and got him out of harm's way. Harm, stopped short of barreling him and stood nearby panting wondering why he couldn't play. So mom turned her fury on me and I stared at her stunned. Don't get me wrong, she was right to be worried, I was too, but to act like my dog is rabid and that I'm some kind of criminal for bringing her to the river was a little over the top.
I was ready to go. Lucy, however, was not. Under the watchful eye of the Furious Mother I kept wading in after her trying to get her leash until finally a woman approached me and said, "Can I do anything to help you?"
"No, thanks. I'm fine."
"Are you sure? Because you look very uh ... pregnant." And you know how when you're barely keeping it together and someone is super nice to you, it makes you loose it? So everyone is watching us and I suddenly can't speak because I am crying! I was already having a bad day so this just topped it off.
"Can I help you get your dog somewhere else? Don't worry about her." She glared at the Furious Mother still watching me.
"Yeah, back up to my truck would be great."
"You don't really want to go home do you? That's silly. You have a right to enjoy it down here AS MUCH AS ANYONE ELSE." Another pointed look at Furious Mother.
She got her sons to help coax Lucy over to another part of the river where we played for nearly an hour. Lucy calmed right down and stayed in her area, fetching sticks, doing her alligator impersonations and just splashing around. When it was time for us to go, her third-grade son offered to help me get Lucy back on her leash and up the hill. That turned into another ordeal but this time, it wasn't so bad because instead of judging my incompetence, the people left at the park laughed about how "ours does the same thing."
I really appreciated this lady's kindness as well as the thoughtfulness of her sons. I hope to raise Sam to be as thoughtful and considerate as these boys were.
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