A Boy and His Dog

For the majority of my professional career I have worked for fairly large corporations in corporate cubicled offices. The rules within those corporations tended to be fairly stringent and there wasn't a whole lotta room for flexibility.

Well...on October 27th I began working for a new company. Although their name is big within the industry that I am now in, my actual office is VERY small compared to what I'm used to. VERY small. Because it's so small, the rules are a lot more lenient. EVERYDAY is casual day...which I LOVE. And...dogs are allowed in the office, at ANY time. No pre-approval needed. Just bring your pooch. I'm cool with that too (even though I'm allergic).

So...yesterday one of our contractors came in with his son. A rambunctious, yet very sweet little 10 year old OVERFLOWING with energy. Loud energy! Along with the boy, was his dog.

They were there all day and their presence was undeniable. When the boy, (who I'll call Edgar) introduced me to his dog "Bandit", he told me that the Bandit bonds by feeding him. So Edgar gave me some kibble and Bandit ate from my hand. At that point, we'd bonded.

Throughout the day Edgar and Bandit would walk by my desk...sometimes stopping...other times not.

THEN...out of nowhere, Edgar walks by, picks up Bandit and puts him RIGHT IN MY LAP. Ok...did you read the part earlier where I said that I'm ALLERGIC.

So I pet Bandit for a bit, put him down, and immediately head to the bathroom to wash my hands and get as much fur off of me as possible. Otherwise I would have sneezed FOR THE REST OF THE DAY!

Now mind you, I love little kids, and I love dogs. I just know my limits when it comes to dogs. If I know that I can quickly get to a change of clothes, then I'll play with a dog for as long as my allergies will allow. But at work...knowing that there are HOURS left before I can change...that's just no bueno.

So...yesterday came and went and I headed back to work this morning.

Lo and behold...Edgar, Bandit (and Edgar's Dad) were back for another day. OK!

THIS day however, was much different than yesterday.

Yes, Edgar was still rambunctious and Bandit was all over the place, but today, I got to know Edgar's story...and it changed everything for me.

As I said earlier...Edgar is 10.

Edgar's Mom passed away from a heart attack 10 months ago. *Right there is where I just about lost it. It seems that no matter how old or young a person is, as SOON as I learn that their Moms are no longer here, I immediately connect with them. Like we're all members of this exclusive club that nobody really WANTS to be in, yet somehow, we get thrown into.*

Edgar was the one who found his Mom.

Edgar is bi-polar and has ADHD.

Edgar now lives with his Dad and Grandma, and while school is out for winter break, he's been hanging with his Dad at work. There were times today when I could see how exasperated Edgar's Dad was, so I'd hang out with Edgar for a bit, to give his Dad a break.

Bandit was a Christmas gift from Edgar's Mom...just 2 months before she passed away. *Are you crying yet? I am.*

Edgar needs Bandit, and in some crazy way...I think that Bandit knows that.

As I posted earlier today on Facebook, "Everyone has a story that is worth being told...and heard." You see...Edgar has a story. I didn't know his story yesterday so I thought he was just some "wild and out" kid who needed a bit of discipline. But after HEARING his story I realized that all Edgar really needs is LOVE, SUPPORT, (medication to balance out his levels), and his buddy BANDIT. As long as he gets all of that, Edgar will be A-Ok.

Let the DIALOGUE begin: Do you find yourself pre-judging folks, or do you ALWAYS hear their story first?

Talk to me!

Til next time...