That Right Person, Right Place Thing

Early last week, while leaving Starbucks, I observed two elegant Beverly Hills looking women -- whom I’d earlier spotted relaxing in the patio, putting their dogs in a car. Evidently, one of the dogs didn’t want to leave Starbucks because, headed to the exit door, I glanced out the window and saw the dog running as one of the women tried to catch it.

It was kinda hilarious as the dog appeared to be playing a deliberate game of hide and seek -- ducking behind an object, waiting and, as the owner reached that object, the dog would duck behind another, look back, wait, duck again.

When it got to the pillar by Starbuck’s door, the dog hid and, as the woman looked behind that pillar, the dog waited then moved in the opposite direction towards me. Holding a cup of venti coffee in my left hand, without thinking, I reached down with my right hand and said, “Hey, you little runaway” in a soothing voice.

The dog stopped and went to lick my extended hand. I let it do so then saw I could hold the dog in place if I grabbed the leash harness, which I did. The dog looked back to see what I was doing, its mouth a mere inch from my hand, at which point it occurred to me it could very well bite me. It didn’t, thank God, and the owner was able to grab her dog and keep hold.

If I haven’t mentioned before … I am NOT a pet person. I don’t mind other people’s pets but, as a rule, I don’t get near, stroke or let them get near and touch me. So the fact I allowed a dog to lick my hand pretty much amazed me. I think I reacted to the woman’s dilemma out of instinct but immediately after, I heard myself say to myself, “What the heck were you thinking? That dog could have bit you and set up a whole set of unnecessary problems for you.”

At any rate, that was last week’s right person, right place episode.

Yesterday was another hot day here in the Inland Empire. Too hot to walk the less than quarter mile to the market, so I decided to drive. I did not come across any elderly residents in distress but, I did come across a neighbor widowed about a year after I arrived here in what was then Paradise but is now Purgatory. She asked if I could give her a ride back as the individual she was with was scheduled for an operation the next day, the groceries bags were heavy and the heat too much.

No problem but, on the drive back, I did ask why she hadn’t driven that big old truck of hers, rather than walk in this heat. Turns out, her deceased husband did all the driving. She doesn’t drive at all. The individual she was with (her adult daughter) is the one who’s been driving since the husband passed but, because daughter is having problems with her eyes, she CAN’T drive right now.

I hope there’s a right person, in the right place, at the right time for me when the time comes – which will probably be this coming weekend, because I’m beginning to worry about participating in Saturday’s Cheetah Runners Appreciation 5K if the heat doesn’t abate. After thinking my old tired body couldn’t handle participating in competitive 5K’s with the young guns any longer, I’m feeling less old and tired since clean eating and anxious to see if it makes a difference. But I’m really worried about becoming incapacitated on the trail due to the heat.

Even though it’s a timed event, the plan is respect the heat -- take it slow and easy. If I survive, I might be confident enough to sign up for October's City of Ontario/Citizens Business Bank’s First Annual 5K Monster Run.