Traffic, little black dogs and Saints

Last night on my way home I decided to take the freeway instead of the back streets as the traffic seemed light enough. Just past the off ramp to my home there is a gas station on the corner of a very busy intersection that shares it's back lot with the parking lot of a huge mall surrounded by restaurants and banks. In the center of all this traffic and driveways was a family of 4 trying desperately to get a small black dog back into their van parked at the gas station.

The Dad was a big man- and looked angry and fed up- the girl looked to be about 8, crying and the boy about 12 - altho from a distance he could have easily been mistaken for an 18 year old. I had one like that boy and I could see he was young and trying to look angry and disgusted like his Father, not scared and crying like his sister - and coming off in that sweet sullen 12 year old boy attitude that achieves nothing very well- (and is only sweet now that I'm 20 years past it). Mom was in the middle of it all - trying to direct traffic and her family from getting run over.

Now, as any dog whisperer will tell you- the best way to entice a recalcitrant dog back into it's van is for a perfect stranger to pull an illegal U-turn on a crowded off ramp - leap out of the car and attempt to assist in the round up. So I did.

I leaped out of my car and not seeing the mutt I yelled over the car noise (and horn honking) "Did you catch him?" All 4 family members looked at me in stunned silence and pointed to the back of my car and for a brief moment in time, I thought, OMG I ran over the mutt. But, no - the ugly little thing had followed my car in like it was a big cream puff and was standing right behind me. I got within inches of the gnarly little buck toothed critter when it realized I was "one of then" and took off - again.

I spoke to the Mom - Dad was yelling something in Spanish telling the kids to get back in the car- they were leaving without it. I asked the Mom if I could run in and get some food and try to get it to me that way? Mom thought that was a good idea and called her son who was stomping around behind Dad - to go into the gas station and get some chips - I asked what his name was - and the Mom said Jr. I'm not sure if she was talking about the dog, or the kid. But, Jr. (the kid), started to walk towards the store and asked if someone was going with him? Mom told him, "Go- I can see you from here". (Yep, he's 12)

Mom explained that they were coming back from visiting family and still had to drive to Escondido where they lived, they had stopped and the dog got loose- tired of being cooped up in the van all day.

By this time Jr. (the dog) had taken off into the parking complex of the mall - I went that-a-way and lost site of him. Turning back to the gas station to regroup - I saw all 4 of them in about the same positions I found them in - with the mutt now giving a less than merry chase as it was tiring out. Mom and I thought this might be our best bet.

As I was positioning my car to see if Jr. (the dog) would follow it again - a young man in a new Mustang - pulled up to the center divider of the main street- parked his car with the hazard lights on - and in one fluid, totally silent motion - sprinted thru 3 lanes of traffic - swooped the dog up in his arms, handed it to the Mom and sprinted back to his car and took off.

Now, why didn't I think of that?

About 5 years ago my then 6 or 7 year old Grandaughter came running outside her Uncle Frank's house in Colorado: "GRANMA - there's a bird in the house!" I went in side, and sure enough a sparrow was flapping it's wings against the ceiling, beating itself to a frenzy trying to get away from a house full of people attempting to direct it to an open window or door.

I walked in and raised my hands up - and the bird fluttered right into my open palm. It's heart was beating so hard against it's chest I could feel it. I closed my hands around bird folding it's wings and attempting to calm it and walked it outside where I released it, wondering if this is how St. Francis of Assisi felt in the woods that day.

"My sister birds, you owe much to God, and you must always and in everyplace give praise to Him; for He has given you freedom to wing through the sky and He has clothed you…you neither sow nor reap, and God feeds you and gives you rivers and fountains for your thirst, and mountains and valleys for shelter, and tall trees for your nests. And although you neither know how to spin or weave, God dresses you and your children, for the Creator loves you greatly and He blesses you abundantly. Therefore… always seek to praise God."

My grand daughter was very proud of me - and Uncle Frank's only comment was "Of course."

So, to the unknown man in the Mustang I say "Of Course."