Today I Walked from Rob and Becky’s place to an area known as University Village. I stopped at a little shop for a cup of coffee, and Chandler immediately garnered the attention of two men sitting outside. One of men was particularly enamored of her, asking first if he could hold her while I got my coffee, next if he could take pictures of her, and finally mentioning that if I came out from getting my coffee and Chandler was gone I needn’t worry, because he would take good care of her. There was a lightness in the conversation that was really fun, and Chandler seemed to enjoy the attention.
The first place I went was to the pet store to get Chandler some food. As I approached the check out counter, there was a man checking out next to me, and he asked about the Walk. He wanted to know if I was with FOR (Fellowship Of Reconcilliatiom), and I explained that while I am not with a group, I am familiar with FOR. As we continued to speak, Jerry introduced himself to me and shared names and locations of organizations between here and the Canadian border that I could connect with. Jerry indicated he has been active in “all things Peace” for many years, and he thanked me for what I’m doing, saying “it’s important work”. Thank you Jerry.
A bit later in the day, Chandler and I were sitting on a wall resting, when a woman with a service dog approached a park bench in front of us to sit down. Chandler started barking, and after I got her settled, the woman asked if she was okay to sit there. I explained that while Chandler is enthusiastic, she is not aggressive, and in fact enjoys other dogs. We went on to talk about service dogs and her dog in particular. We discussed the moment when Sandy got her dog (Laila), and how much it helped her to adapt to her new blindness. As Chandler settled into a nap near but not too close to Laila, Sandy shared about how heightened her awareness of other sensory input has become since becoming blind. She mentioned that she could tell that Chandler wasn’t a threat by her bark, which I found fascinating. She also said that sometimes, she comes outside to hear the sounds and I shared my experience of being outside so much of the time when I’m Walking that I find myself closing my eyes and trying isolate sounds, which helps quiet my mind. I was grateful to Sandy for her openness, and for the opportunity to spend some time together. As I got ready to go, I thanked Sandy for sharing part of her day with us.
When I arrived back at my hosts’ house for the evening, I had the chance to visit with them as they prepared the last of their food and gear for a backpacking trip to the high country. When I think I have reduced the amount of things I need to carry in the buggy to the bare minimum, I am reminded that it could actually be reduced further. Of course, I’m not carrying everything on my back, but there is a way in which the less I have, the more clear I become about what I actually need.
After watching Rob and Becky sort, pack and re-pack for their trip, I am feeling motivated to do the same with the buggy.
What is neat about the first three conversations I wrote about is that each of them happened because I have Chandler with me. Because of her easygoing way of connecting with people, Chandler is often a conduit into communication and community with others. I love having her with me, and it is wonderful on the days when I am present to the huge gift she brings by being a part of the Walk for Peace.