Brighten Your Day

I used to deliver pizzas during a summer between schools in a small hick town of Texas. This place was in the middle of the desert and the heat was usually glaring to the point you'd see waves coming off the road. The sun was bright and shining, not a single cloud in the sky. It had to be somewhere close to 4 pm. I had just started my evening shift.

I was driving through a random subdivision scanning the houses for the address on file. What I found was a bit heartbreaking: a bloodied and limping dog half-running alongside my car on his way home. I confirmed it was his home because after trying to lure him into my car, screw the undelivered pizzas, he gave me a skittish look and wound his way to a front yard where he finally stopped. Without thinking, I immediately pulled to the curb and grabbed a First Aid kit I kept under the passenger seat. I caution anyone reading this, do not do what I did unless you're aware of the risks involved and it is the last resort. Instead, grab a professional; get on the phone and speed dial that shit.

With aid kit in hand, I flopped in front of the injured 80 plus pound critter and looked sympathetically at him. He licked my timid hand holding a gauze pad and I proceeded to go forward with my actions. He had a lot of blood loss and I was worried about dehydration from the extreme heat.

Although my actions merely cleaned and bandaged his wounds, I drew enough arousal from his household. The owners wondered why there was a stranger kneeling down and touching their dog and came out to investigate. They didn't even know he had gone missing. I explained I had followed him, and that he had been injured from what I considered a dog fight. I then coached them on home remedies to clean and cauterize his wounds. They had mentioned they lacked the money to take him to the veterinarian and so this would have to do. They thanked me for my help and showered their injured pooch with love and affection, and water, promising to keep a better eye on him and to do what I had advised.

And so there's your happy news today.

(I eventually got back into my car and had to apologize to the people for whom the pizza was intended. But that is not really the point.)

Do good deeds. Share the good. Be the good. That is the point.