Day 157
10/18/22
My Goldens never met a stranger...everyone is their new best friend! Sam is probably the most open to loving everyone in his path. This little guy doesn't hesitate to run up to people we meet, roll over on his back and beg for tummy rubs...he is irresistable!
Ranger and Lilly are ready for a "meet and greet" at the drop of a hat. After eight years of Therapy Dog adventures, they know how to work a crowd. Lilly visited Walker Senior Residence this morning while brother Ranger trotted around Mercy Hospital. (Ranger was even invited in to a ZOOM meeting with all the top administrators!) They each made a difference in so many lives today.
Gus is more like his Mama. He sees people approaching, sits down to gather a sense of the strangers intent and then opens up his heart. He will make a wonderful Therapy Dog someday!
Back in my teaching days, I always had a captive audience in the classroom. Whether it was 2nd graders or Master's students, they made me feel like I had something important to share. Even then, I was extremely aware of the body language and evidence of engagement. Like most educators, I could turn on a dime to alter the course of a lesson. "Reading the crowd" was imperative to those jobs!
Now, being retired, I realize that I am not as "on task" as I once was. If I am at a gathering, I flow through the introductions and then realize I have not committed the new names and faces to memory. I seem to be stuck in Educator Mode as I take in the big picture and analyze the group as a whole. Part of it is my Sam-like engagement with the gathering...look at all the new friends! Another flaw in my ability to lock down names is that I am not always the best at focusing on the moment at hand. I tend to be reading the room, plotting my next course of action and trying to make everyone in my path feel important.
Names are so very important to individuals. When you remember someone's name, it makes them feel important, validated and memorable. From my 2nd graders to my University students, their faces would light up when I started any interaction with their name. Calling someone by name might be one of the most gratifying gestures you can offer a person.
I always have a goal to remember names and have a few tricks up my sleeve to make that happen. I need to make that goal more of a mission, since I realize the important message it sends: YOU MATTER! It all goes back to being present in the moment and honoring those right in front of your eyes.
If my Goldens were people, this is what I believe would happen at a gathering.
Sam would not remember anyone's name, but would be the hit of the party.
Ranger and Lilly might remember a few of the important ones.
Gus would remember every single one because he actually stops to analyze in his mind and heart where the new person stands.
I need to be more like Gus. His dear heart and ability to be in the present will take him far. Now, if we can just get rid of his "ZOOMIES," and help calm him down a bit, he will be an awesome Therapy Dog!
