Anyone who walks with a dog can tell you that canines will lead to more human 
interactions than you’ll have when you’re walking alone. Not only do they attract people, but somehow lead to more open conversation. I was out with Stanley and Gus when a man started laughing and asked if I knew that our hair looked alike.
ELBEE Do you think she could possibly resist telling him about “I Love You Man,” her one claim to fame? FYI they made fun of her for looking like Charley.
Another, who sort of recognized me from the neighborhood, stopped to tell me that a few years ago his wife had been in the hospital at UCLA for 59 days. She’d had several dog visits and they’d meant so much that he still had their trading cards.
I especially want to share one really sweet encounter I had when I was walking with Henry. It was a little moment but with the news being so depressing, anxiety provoking and sad, aren’t those positive little moments exactly what we need right now?
ELBEE She better pick things up. I’m getting stressed just reading this.
We passed two men who were detailing a car on the street. They waved as we went by. Then as I walked a bit further past their big, black truck a boy of about twelve jumped out of the passenger seat. With a huge grin on his face he said “I love dogs! I’ve always wanted a dog!”
He was just drawn to Henry. As he petted him, he kept telling me how much he wanted a dog. It was a warm day so I took out Henry’s water. I noticed the boy watching closely and smiling as Henry drank out of his bottle so I asked if he’d like to hold it for him. I got an enthusiastic “yes!”
He told me that his name was Vladimir. He also proudly shared that he had an app on his phone that let him order food for all of them. I was so impressed by his sweetness and his kind demeanor. Henry, who’s a cautious judge of character, was completely taken with him.
We stood in the shade and chatted for around ten minutes. When Henry and I had to leave he was disappointed but totally understood. As I started up the hill, he called out “Have a blessed day.”
