March 23, 2016
Art? Literature? Travel? All are fine topics to wrap a conversation around. Politics? Not so much, for me. There are times, however, when a discussion must include the very topic that sits in the living room like the proverbial pink elephant. The only way around is through. And my only way through is with the help of my service dog. Climate of Fear Fear factors rise with each news story of the verbal and physical attacks occurring at Trump gatherings. Disagree and you might become disabled. It seems not to matter that rules are broken or laws overstepped. For a wee sense of balance, counter those images with clips of Sanders on stage, arm-in-arm with musicians singing, “This Land Is Your Land.” It makes me wonder if Trump protesters could be so easily tossed out if, linked together at the elbows in a human chain, they held no signs but […]
February 12, 2016
Love seeing stories of real service dogs and the real lives they impact. Meet one of Sir Thomas’ younger cousins: Sienna at work And click here for another glimpse at the beneficial pairing of a service dog with its human.
February 5, 2016
I’m used to me waking in the wee hours to use the bathroom. When Sir Thomas wakes me to use the outdoors, it’s a sign something’s not right. The first protocol, given that he didn’t show any other signs of distress – no fever, no unusual behavior, no breathing issues, no tender areas – is to let his system settle down. Try and rationalize with a 145-pound dog that it’s in his best interest not to eat for twenty-four hours. Next, explain to the dentist office the need to reschedule because the dog is sick. I could’ve elaborated on the, er, size if the problem when ‘Great Dane’ and ‘diarrhea’ are used in the same sentence. Beyond the risk of needing a major cleanup, it’s not fair for me to ask him to work when his tummy isn’t well. When we’re out and about, he’s my steed, my regal Dane […]
February 3, 2016
So a state rep pulls into a handicapped spot… No, wait, his wife does… She’ll ‘only be a few moments…” See story here Have a few moments? To someone with a disability — MS, Parkinson’s, veteran’s with head injuries, amputees — the words, ‘I’ll only be a few moments’ don’t exist. It takes a us a few extra moments to slip an arm through a shirt sleeve, to sip our coffee, to cut a piece of chicken or take a bite of salad, to undo the twist-tie on a loaf of bread, to get socks on. It took quite a few moments for that disabled person to get to that very parking space. Rep Hess’s actions of pointing to his wife and adding that he had elective surgery on his hip were transparent veils the news reporter should’ve seen through. Hess represents the people of his state. Don’t blame the […]