On Sunday, Phin and I took a long walk over to the Third Street Promenade, essentially an outdoor mall with shops and restaurants in downtown Santa Monica. Phin loves going down there, mostly because every 5 feet someone stops to pet him and tell him how cute he is. I like to go down there because it gives me the chance to interact with random people whom I probably wouldn’t meet otherwise.
One man in particular had a real impact on Phin and I. He was born in New York and he’s been in LA since the 1980’s. Phin went right up to him and had a seat at his feet. He was more than happy to pet Phin. I thanked him for it, and he said, “Oh no. The pleasure is mine. It’s actually an honor to have an animal take such a liking to you.”
We talked for about 10 minutes and he told me about his 16-year-old pitbull that he raised from a tiny puppy. He loved her so much, even spending his savings to replace her two knees. She passed a few years ago and he said he’s never felt right since. We went on to talk about a documentary he had just seen about point dogs, the 4,000 German Shepherds that went on patrols with soldiers during the Vietnam War. Point dogs literally saved their lives many times over. The documentary explained that after the war, the soldiers had to leave the dogs behind. They interviewed some of these soldiers who are now all senior citizens. Decades later, these vets still think of those dogs, miss them, and feel horrible that they couldn’t take them back home.
“It’s their innocence that gets to you. They never lose it. No matter how old they get, no matter what they go through. They trust and show up and love, over and over again. It’s really amazing how they wind their way into your heart with nothing other that sweetness.”
I couldn’t agree more. Without ever uttering a single English word, Phin’s taught me more about love, second chances, and healing than anyone else ever has. It’s such a blessing to have him here with me on this LA adventure. I would never have the conversations I’ve had here without him. Somehow he helps people open up without ever saying a word. Just by being who he is and taking a seat right next to someone (sometimes on them!), I get to hear someone’s life story. I’m the lucky one in this deal – to have the love of a remarkable animal like Phin, to have the chance to take him places where he can offer comfort and love to others, and to hear the stories of these people who are my neighbors for a little while.
Christa Avampato 