Would You Have Stopped?

Turn on the television, and you quickly become depressed.  There is war... there is always war.  There are also natural disasters, murders, robberies, political corruption, name a crime and it is well covered. Humanity exists though.  I wanted to reassure you of this fact in case you have watched too many news stories as of late. Sometimes you have to look closely.  True human kindness abounds all around us.  We have to pay attention; we need to be the ones offering the kindness at times.

Tonight, on the way to meet friends for dinner, I noticed a plumbing service truck pull off the side of the road. Then, the cars going in either direction stopped.  My mind thought "wreck", but then, I noticed the driver of the truck bend down and walk stooped over to the middle of the road.  He was trying to pick up a small daschund that was running around in the middle of the busy road, obviously playing a game of keep away with this man.  After a few minutes with no success, the man got back in his truck and drove away.  He wasn't trying to capture HIS pet; he was trying to save someone else's pet.  How nice, I thought.  Traffic began to creep forward; no one wanted to hit the dog that was now playing on the side of the road for the most part.  Then, another car (not part of the original line) pulled over and the driver began to try to catch the dog.  Traffic stopped in both directions as this man tried to wrangle the pup. No luck, but he did succeed in getting the dog to run into a neighborhood away from the busy road. A third vehicle driven by a lady drove slowly beside the dog with her window down talking to the dog. She must have known where he lived and was leading him back home. Someone's pet is alive tonight because not one or two, but three people stopped along a busy road to make sure this little puppy did not die. How incredible is that?

If I had seen the dog before the first vehicle stopped, I would have thought to myself that I hoped the dog didn't get hit and drove on.  I had plans; I was not going to stop; I was not going to get involved. I would have been wrong.

The Biblical parable of the Good Samaritan tells us that we are to help each other regardless of what is going on. Yet, we seldom do.  How many other things - things much more significant than a dog playing on the side of a busy road - have I overlooked because I didn't want to be involved? I need to open my eyes and slow down.   I need to make a difference, no matter how small...

Would you have stopped??

You Have A Dog, Right?

I have never lived alone.  I had roommates in college; I got married at 22 and had Taylor at 25.  I have no idea how to live a solitary home life.  I don't mind being alone. It gives you time to read, to escape into other worlds, to have adventures without leaving your home.  There is also a sweet justice in having control of the remote and watching every single episode of America's Next Top Model without remorse, compromise, or random sports shows. I can comfortably pass a day or two in my own company. HOWEVER, how do you pass a year, five years, forty years living alone?

This is one of the questions I have been pondering lately.  When Taylor leaves for basics, does my life become one of silence at home transforming me into a clingy chatty person whenever I am around people? No one likes to be around  THAT person, so how do I avoid it? Do my meals become sandwiches, soups, and the occasional meal out with friends? Which meals can easily be cooked for one? The questions keep coming until I feel overwhelmed and panicked... Seriously... How do I avoid becoming the stereotypical cat lady who lives alone? I don't even like cats.

I've asked friends of mine that live alone for advice.  They fall into two categories.  The young ones who are living alone until they meet Mr. Right or Mrs. Right and begin their lives.  They are out partying, working, shopping, and dating.  They are not worried about living alone because it is a temporary thing.  Their future as a duo or a family is waiting for them somewhere. That was the first half of my life, and this is the NEXT half...  The others in the second category live alone by choice.  They are the introverts.  They settle into their homes like an old man sinking into his Lazy Boy recliner. They go to work and come home to the silence they crave.  This is not me most days.  I need people to talk to, to laugh with, to simply make noise. How do I do this?

The best answer I have received so far to my questions was a simple question..."You have a dog, right?". I do.  Bella is a Pomeranian mix.  Taylor and I bought her this past summer as a pet for him, but she has quickly became part of the family.  Bella crawls up in your lap whenever you are watching television, ensuring that you have someone to whom you can make your observations about the show. She runs to you when you unlock the door welcoming you home. She is smart and will play fetch for as long as you are willing to throw the ball for her making sure you are needed and never bored. Most importantly, for me right now, Bella makes noise and so whenever I hear the floor creak or a bump in the other room, I am not frightened because I simply attribute it to Bella. Before we had her, I would panic fearing that it was a robber. She also acts as an alarm system of sorts.  Whenever a car pulls up the drive, Bella growls.  There is no way to sneak up on us.  She will not allow it. In extremely basic terms, Bella keeps me company. I guess those cat ladies are on to something, but I still don't like cats.