Won’t Back Down

I made at least 76 different people smile today. I’m not certain of the exact number but I don’t need to know that to know how happy this makes me. Today mom took me to Fido Fest, a local celebration of all things canine. And it was fabulous. There were hundreds (maybe even thousands) of dogs of so many different shapes, sizes and breeds. It was a sight to be seen.

So we seized the day and shared my joy from the ground up with whomever would take it. Literally. This morning mom printed off 150 fliers with my silly face on it promoting the blog. We got to the festival, found a good spot, and I stood proudly by her side as we handed out the fliers. I thought it would be fun but that optimism faded away a lot sooner than I could have imagined.

The first person who walked by said no thank you. The second person didn’t say anything. The third just waved her free hand at us while her Westie (who was wearing a doggie visor) glanced at me apologetically from her perch in what appeared to be a doggie stroller. I didn’t understand. Why would anyone say no thank you to a daily dose of joy? Why would anyone ignore a smile? Why would you wave away a happy moment in your day?

That’s when I felt my proverbial foot start to tap to the beat of a familiar anthem of anyone who has been told “no one too many times. “Well I know what’s right, I got just one life in a world that keeps on pushin’ me around but I’ll stand my ground and I won’t back down.” Thank you, Tom Petty, for reminding me of my true purpose.

I don’t think it’s a coincidence that things turned around in that moment. People started taking the fliers, reading them as they walked away, and turning around to smile at mom and I after taking a couple steps. They turned back around and smiled. At least 76 different people turned around and smiled. Thanks (in part) to the various kinds of distractions that made up my surroundings, I lost count after that.