Everyone
needs a passion…no I’m not talking about a movie star (don’t go there), I’m
talking about something you love to do that you can put your heart in and
get some real satisfaction added to your life.
I started work when I was 14 years old and I pumped gas at a local
filling station after school. I made
$1.00 an hour and I was in heaven and very rich, I thought. I have been so fortunate to have a job that I
liked all the way to retirement at 43 years old, and even a few jobs that I did
for something to do, but when I was ready, I moved on, and look for something
to do and knew I need something I really liked.
I
love my life and wouldn’t change a thing and really didn’t think I could be
happier in the things I do. It started
when I needed to keep the deer out of my garden and flower beds. I got a border collie because I need a dog to
keep them out and he did. He was “free
to a good home” from the newspaper and he could have easily have been a mix or
a shepherd or anything else, but fate intervened, that is how I got to where I
got and I saw my first border collie.
One thing about a passion, not only does it usually help you, he can
help in other ways and this is something I never knew. Where would we be now if the free dog was
anything else?
Yesterday,
we had one of our former pups “Thadd” come to town to see us and to reconnect
with our dogs. He is a beautiful dog and
has the best dog parents ever, as many of our dogs parents are! He works and plays and shares so much love at
the nursing home, church functions and everyone he touches. This has made me ponder about how my passion
has led others to have a similar passion too.
As
I look back and see all the wonderful friends we have and the lives that has
been touched because of the dogs I am grateful that my passion has helps in so
many areas…who would have thought…
I
think what surprises me, is this phenomena is not just with me, but anyone who
might look at the opportunities to do something that they love. The odds of what happened were about
zero. I had looked for something to do
in my idle time that would give me some purpose and enjoyment. I looked at a few crafts, woodworking or
stained glass but you can only make so many kid toys or stained glass windows and I
guess I can give my work as Christmas presents but after a few years, I’m sure
people would hate to see us coming, I even bought some plans and would set up
shop in a building I have and little did I
know that fate would strike me and that same building became my first dog kennel
and not a workshop? But if we allow our
thoughts to expand and see what we can truly do, it’s amazing and is but the
first step is ours.
As
I sat back and look at all of the good things the dogs do, I am amazed that so
many lives have been touched by good fortune and as I have spoken before, many lives
are changed by others getting up and doing something and living their
dream. I personally see people going to
herd sheep with their dog, dock diving with their dog, healing others with
their dog through therapy and even search and rescue.
With
me, the passion didn’t come all at once and with some it doesn’t but it nurtured
itself and grew on its own, I just allowed it too and when I saw an opportunity,
I let it continue, it’s also the opportunity of the dogs and who knows, it
might be their passion too. I once
remember many months ago, I saw a video of one of our pups on the dogs Facebook
page that had just learned how to jump off the dock at a dock diving facility
and once he learned, he was in heaven and kept going back for more and we were
all in heaven. Sometime later I was
invited by a friend of ours to take one of our dogs dock diving, Clancy met up with "Nelly & Ruby". We met “Leo” the young dog that
was in the video and everyone had a ball jumping and diving and getting
together and everyone did great, but whose passion is it and who knows, it might be the dogs. Clancy was the dad to Leo and Nelly and Meg
was the mother of Ruby.
But
the point is just do something.
Remember, I didn’t really want a dog, I never had a border collie, I
felt uncomfortable around people and I didn’t especially like older people
because I didn’t know what to say, but in every case, it was the passion of the
dogs and they have taught me many lessons about life, people and my limitations
and with their eyes and love, they do the talking…and remember it’s not always
about us and to get love, you need to give love and the dogs are great at it. Ken
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| The're waiting for us, and they have the passion... |
