Give Someone a Chance Today - You Never Know Who They'll Be Tomorrow

I'm going to get a bit personal today and tell you a short story.  I ran into an old photo the other day of me and my trusy therapy dog.  Over 13 years ago, a friend and I trekked 3.5 hours north of Manhattan so I could adopt a Golden Retriever.  Not that there aren't available dogs in the Metropolitan NY area - I didn't want to adopt an overbred dog (as they usually are here in NYC).  So, off we went to Troy, New York.  There were two dogs for me to meet.  At the end of the day, I was coming home with a dog, but who to pick?  There first came to the 'foster home' Ginger the dog.  Ginger was 18 months old, reddish and lean and a nice dog.  We went for a walk for 15 minutes to become acquainted.  The sponsors of the rescue organization told me to take Ginger and kept telling me I didn't really want to see the 'other thing' who was coming next.  Hey...I just schlepped 3.5 hours; I'm waiting to see the other dog!  They put Ginger out back and opened the front door to let in the 'other thing'.  We were sitting on stools in the back of the house.  A little Golden Retriever ran through the house, into the kitchen, jumped onto the counter to kiss the cat, kiss us and run out into the living room to take a nice big poop on the living room carpet.  The little dog then ran back to us with a huge smile on her face, wagging her tail as if to say 'YEAH!  Baby...Let's GO!".  It was love at first sight.  Our 15 minute 'get acquainted walk' was a bolt and sprint through the neighborhood (no wonder they asked me if I was strong).  The rescue people told me I was crazy to take this dog, but I said, "If she has manners, then she deserves a chance".  I placed a dog biscuit on the edge of my mouth, got her attention and told her to mind her manners and take it nicely.  This little dog gently took the biscuit from my mouth.  She had potential.  So, off we went, back to Manhattan.  She chose a new name for herself and after 2 days in the big city, she was running the show.
That little 'nuisance' became Nurse Sooki, my therapy dog who has brought smiles and good will to hundreds of people.  Nobody thought she'd ever amount to anything but trouble.  But I knew all she needed was a chance to grow and thrive and have some fun.

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day:  Don't 'blow off' anyone until you've given them an opportunity to show you what they've got first.  Whether it's a person or a pet, give them a chance.  You never know who they're going to become if given an opportunity to shine!  Who knows....it could be the next great peacemaker of this world, or the greatest scientific mind who discovers a real cure for cancer....just for fun, here's the photo of me and Sooki before I was a physician and before she became a great therapy dog!  I knew we BOTH had potential!

A DIfferent Point of View

Yesterday, as I was walking down the street deep in my thoughts, I noticed a blind woman with her walking stick hesitating at a busy corner.  I approached the woman and asked her if she needed assistance.  She said she was looking for a photo shop a few blocks away that took passport photos.  It was a bit out of my path, but I told her we'd look together for the shop.  She took hold of my arm and off we went.

During the next 15 minutes or so as we strolled up the street, I got to know Iris.  Iris is a medical stenographer who works for a malpractice law firm downtown near my office.  She lives on the Upper West Side, just a stone's throw from where I lived some years ago.  I have a therapy dog, she wants a therapy cat.  We both remarked what a beautiful day it was and how we thought the construction on Fulton St would never end.  She was fascinated that I practice Acupuncture and how curious we are both in the medical field.  We commented that the neighborhood has changed during the past few years.  As I led Iris through the door of the photo shop, we shook hands and said goodbye.  We said we hoped we'd see eachother again for another stroll and chat.

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day:  If you see someone who needs a little help, take the time to give a little assistance.  You never know what you might learn from the experience.  As the saying goes, 'pay it forward'.  I felt really good after my exchange with Iris - she's a lovely person and she was really good for my health.  So thanks, Iris.  I hope we DO meet again.
Happy Weekend!