A year ago yesterday morning, I was sitting at home waiting to be picking up by the good folks at Guiding Eyes For the Blind. I was apprehensive, nervous, excited, and scared not knowing what the next month would bring, and how having a guide dog would affect my life. I had never had a dog, and quite frankly wasn’t sure what to expect. In my preconceived idea, guide dogs weren’t the friendliest of dogs, and if I was going to have to walk a dog every day, I wanted one that was friendly and playful. On the flip side a year ago today, there was a brave little dog living in a kennel at Guiding Eyes For the Blind. In a little over two years he had been born, left his daddy and mommy, went to puppy raisers, then was taken from them, went to a trainer at Guiding Eyes, and was now living in a kennel not knowing what was in store for him. A year ago tomorrow afternoon, I was sitting in the GEB dormitory. I had just been told that I was receiving a male dog named Nash. Wow, what kind of a weird name is that? Ugh, people are going to think I named him for Nashville or that Don Johnson show Nash Bridges. That isn’t going to be good. I was waiting for the knock on the door, then it came, and Susan entered with this hyper dog named Nash. She handed the leash to me, and eventually left the two of us alone. This dog Nash was not happy about her leaving, he ran me from one end of the room to the other between both doors in the room. Oh God, what did I get myself into, this is never going to work out!
FlashForward to a April 29, 2010. The world hasn’t ended, but hey that isn’t supposed to happen until 12/21/12, and no, I am not talking about the awful movie 2012. Sorry to get sidetracked. Ok, so on the eve of Nash and my one year anniversary together April 29th, how have my thoughts changed. WOW, what a difference a year can make, a dog can make in your life, and most importantly a guide dog can make compared to a cane. I can’t even remember getting around with a cane, and it was only a year ago. Not only is Nash a fantastic guide, but he is unbelievably friendly and cuddly, almost too friendly to be a guide dog, oh yeah, and he is cute to. I have had to come up with a response, as Nash is constantly getting compliments, most commonly, oh my what a gorgeous dog, to which I respond, thank you, he has my genes! Not only does Nash make getting around a lot easier, but people are so much friendlier to me. It is like night and day to how people treat cane users compared to people with guide dogs. There should be a sociological experiment done, yes, it is that much of a difference.
So what do Nash and I have planned for our one year anniversary? Why, a nice romantic dinner for two. Ok, that would be weird. I will not be serving Nash his dinner tomorrow night by candlelight. Yeah, candles and blind people are a bad idea. We plan to go for a nice long walk tomorrow, stop by the pet store to pick Nash up a bone with peanut butter, yes he loves his PB and his bones, more than his toys. He destroys his toys, hey that rhymes, hence one of sir-nash-a-lots many nicknames, the toyminator. And how do I feel about the name Nash a year later? Well, just consider all the names I call him by, Mr. Nashee, my little Nashee, Nashee Nasherstein, Nashalaa, the Nashster, who’s the nashiest Nashser Nashee Nashers, and buddy.
So, looking back to a year ago, I would have to say the decision to go to Guiding Eyes was one of the best decisions of my life, and putting it off for a few months because of work and because I wasn’t sure I wanted a guide dog, turned out to be pretty good because if I would have went in earlier than I did, I wouldn’t have gotten the Nashster! Happy almost anniversary Nash.