Obnoxious drivers. Political ads. Talking heads on the news. People who lack integrity.
It’s easy to view the world through lenses of darkness and yearn for a different time. But walking into the Scottsdale Public Library on Halloween reminded me most people still are good-hearted.
Inside the front door sat the dog Doobie, a French Briard. He wore a jester’s costume and, like a living magnet, prevented me from walking too far past prior to turning back toward him. We asked if we could take his picture. His owner agreed, saying his purpose is to make people happy. Doobie ducked away from the camera, but his owner requested he turn face forward and pose. He agreed.
Doobie’s owner, a woman who appeared to be in her 60s, wore a gray shirt campaigning for kindness. I asked her how Doobie sees with sandy strands of hair hanging over his eyes. She explained Doobie’s do especially distracts him at night and once led him to walk directly into a light pole.
Doobie’s strength is his demeanor. When I say hello to strangers walking by, my wife jokingly asks if I’m running for office. And staring a stranger in the eyes too long seems like a calculated risk. But Doobie welcome belly rubs and ear scratches even from those who don’t first seek permission. That’s how he rolls. When his ears pop up, he resembles John Candy’s character Barf in the movie Space Balls.
Doobie’s owner explained reserving a space for kids to read to him at the library is a challenge. Others relish bringing their dogs there, too. Consider that: people waiting for time to volunteer with their dogs at a local library. News anchors and politicians don’t frequently share those stories with us.
When we left the library, only one person had visited to read to Doobie. You can’t blame kids for focusing on other priorities as the sun begins to sink on Halloween. However, sharing time with Doobie reminds us the world sometimes isn’t as scary as we fear.
