Munch’s Happiness Maifesto

Tags

Animal, Dog, Guide Dog, Happiness, Life lessons

Happiness is a state accessible to all, but only chosen by some. If we sat back and let animals teach us a thing or two about the correlation between simplicity and happiness, we would live in a far more tranquil world. Here are the top ten tips that my furry Guru has taught me over the last nearly two years.
1. Treat everyone as your friend. I admit that licking everyone you see may not be the best option but meeting people with fresh enthusiasm brightens up the day for you both.
2. Explore, explore, explore. Doing the same thing in the same way everyday will only bring the same results. Stale minds can find it hard to find happiness in habits so expand your horizons to find happiness in places that you never knew existed.
3. Don’t stress about fiction. Differentiate between fact and fiction. No animal spends time fretting over the “what if’” in life but only deal with situations that that are in front of them. Why worry about something that may never happen instead of enjoying what is?
4. Live for the now and forget the how. Don’t plan your life away just do what makes you happy. Animals always trust in the unknown source of their survival. Each day is an opportunity to fall in love with your life if you wish to do so.
5. At every given opportunity, play. Forgetting how to play is the root cause of much unhappiness if life. Mimicking the spontaneous funny five minutes of playful fun seen in many animals, can recharge our batteries and help us rediscover the fun in the monotony in life.
6. Be peacefully strong. The stronger the animal, the more peaceful they can be. Inner strength from knowing your capabilities is far better than trying to overt your power over another to try and convince yourself and others of your strength.
7. Communication is key. Picking up on the spoken and unspoken word early on can keep conflict at bay. Interaction can not be a success by speaking and not listening. Cooperation is key to live in harmony with others.
8. Always be yourself. We fall in love with animals for their quirky ways and we should do the same for humans. Celebrating the individuality of over 7 billion people in the world is an easier task if you can learn to celebrate your own individuality.
9. Show compassion even when it is hard. Interspecies friendships show no boundaries’ even when it is difficult. Learning the needs and wishes of another helps us move beyond ourselves and be more compassionate.
10. Spread your magic wherever you go. Each living being has a way about them that will attract the masses. If every being in the world left a trail of their beautiful essence wherever they visit, happiness would be nothing but inevitable.
Munch’s manifesto of hsppiness is my go-to place of enlightenment in times of uncertainty. I know he won’t mind if you ever feel like visiting it too.

Advertisements

Maid. Where Is My Limousine?

Tags

Animal, Dog, Drama King, Expectations, Guide Dog, Humour, Regal

Due to the historical general implication of what street corners are famous for, standing on them does not appeal to me. Not wanting to be questioned for loitering with intent, I usually pass them by like any law-abiding citizen. Munch on the other hand has other ideas. For the last week or so, there has appeared to be a magnetic draw between his derriere and the floor on street corners. This puzzling behaviour has got me both worried and intrigued as it is so out of character for him. I have been scared to Google “street corner doggy behaviour” just in case I find something I shouldn’t.

The first time that it happened, I was concerned that he had an injury of some sort and could not walk but after I gave him a quick check over I ruled it out. Next on the mental check list was maybe he was thirsty, so I gave him some water in his bowl that I always carry but when he turned his nose up at this I knew that it must be something else. When his planted derriere still wouldn’t move I wondered if there was an obstacle in the distance that I couldn’t see which would have made him stop in our tracks. After zooming in on the location around us with the maximum capacity with the camera on my phone, I couldn’t see any obvious reasons for his odd behaviour. After what felt like an age, he finally got up, sighed and walked on.

This strange behaviour continued to happen a few times over the following week in different locations. The answer to his odd behaviour came a couple of days ago when he was in sitting protest mode. As a taxi slowed down and pulled up slightly further down the street from us, he decided to shoot up off the floor at record speed and try and pull me towards the taxi. It was then that I realized that this Diva just wanted a ride. Steering him away from the taxi muttering “no it’s not for us” to the stroppy soul, I twigged that he had been waiting for a lift each time. As our work days have increased over the last month we have been catching more taxis, buses and trains, so he just thought that we were getting a taxi to save his poor paws.

Munch’s sense of entitlement is always present as he saunters through life. Not one to break a sweat in his working life if he can help it. he is quite happy to be transported around by any means possible. Why walk when minions can come and save his paws from over exertion? If he can stretch out and snooze in any type of vehicle whilst being chauffeured around, his Highness is happy. The term “working dog” feels like a trade description breech when he in such dormant mood. Expecting such a regal being to walk when he can be carried, is such a failure on my part and I must try better in the future to meet his needs.

I think it is time for me to start saving up for a limousine to transport him around. I think it is only fair also that I arrange in advance for him to be greeted at each destination with a red carpet for him to feel that his status is honoured and respected. Maybe it is an idea to hire a full-time chef for his catering needs as one cannot be expected to eat any old slop. Who do you think would be best to design his robe and crown for his royal duties? Would it be too premature to arrange his inauguration for the masses to attend or should I wait until there is public outcry for his leadership?

My little Minster Munch has taught me many things, with patience being a main one. Findings ways around his demanding nature is always pleasing to my problem-solving loving mind. Until he is lying stretched out in his limousine wearing his bespoke robe and crown with a belly full of fine dining, he may have to make do with pounding the pavement with his paws with shop bought treats enticing him along the way. Sorry Munch, we all must slum it sometimes.

A Day In The Life Of A Healer

Tags

Animal, Autism, Children, Dog, Gratitude, Guide Dog, Healer, Healing, Kindness, Love, Mental Health, Peace, Thanks, Unconditional Love

Pulling towards each other, they met in the middle and fell into each other’s space. Like two familiar souls, these strangers created a unity that looked like it had existed for an eternity. The connection that anchored the pair rooted on the spot at the train station, gave an insight into the world of the unspoken realm of healing. Munch sensed the need for this girl to feel secure before she entered another day in the unknown world of school life. Meeting a highly anxious young girl with autism, triggered off the natural healing instinct in him to come alive. The kisses that he planted on her beautiful face reassured her that she would get through another day and be just fine.

When Munch chose what I thought was a random seat on the train, I had no idea that we would be sitting opposite a man who was losing his sight. As we chatted away and Munch gave his paw and heart to the man, he must have known that this was the place that we really needed to sit. We listened to how the man had been patiently waiting for a guide dog for the last year and a half, yet his vision seemed to be in a hurry to deteriorate. The questions that poured out from him were answered verbally by me and physically by Munch. Hearing the words “I know my wait will be worth it after meeting this furry fella” reaffirmed the positive impact that Munch has on the life of another.

Throughout the working day he continued to spread his healing magic to lonely children that he made feel loved, gave self esteem to those that had little and absorbed the stress that invaded the lives of many. His calming presence that filled the room allowed our clients to leave the chaos of life on the other side of the door and embrace the forgotten peace that lay within each of them. Sharing his toys with those that had forgotten the fun of play in childhood triggered sleepy parts of them that needed to reawaken. Demonstrating his pure love for life was the best infection that anyone could ever catch.

Later that night in training in work, he lightened the mood as the heaviness of the subject permeated the room. The sombre subject of suicide triggered deep emotions in the room that Munch tired to even out. He whimpered in a way that seemed to speak of the groups sadness and began using his Munch like qualities to magic it away. Lying on his back with paws to ceiling he began doing his happy dance with tongue flopping out of his mouth and tail wagging to try and turn frowns upside down. He even went around to kiss each person one by one and gave an extra hug to someone who had just lost her dog. His love was all that was needed.

This healer works in ways that has no structure, just freedom in all that he does. Once met never forgotten, he moves through life in his own unique way on a life path that he was meant to live. Leaving people feeling better in whatever way he can is his personal motto in life. We may never know the positive impact that we have on peoples lives but our impact should always be positive. If we cannot heal another then we should not harm. If we each took small steps to heal ourselves and others in whatever way we can, there would never be anything left to heal as how can we heal perfection?

Written In The Stars

Tags

Animal, Beauty, Dog, Gratitude, Guide Dog, Labradoodle, Love, Numerology, Thanks

Getting preferential treatment is one thing that Munch is good at. It seems that wherever he goes, he manifests a whole entourage of people who pander to his needs and treat him like royalty. Up until now I have thought that it is due to his Labradoodle personality or the fact that he has been pampered and spoilt from birth. It seems however, that there may be more to it than that. When we were told by a Numerologist last week that his way of being was written in the stars, I was intrigued.

Munch being like a magnet for any spare attention, drew in a Numerologist we had briefly met before. He felt the urge to start reading Munch due to his magnetic energy. I love anything alternative and got excited when he started talking about the meaning of his name and what his date of birth said about him. He worked on his name Munch as he is affectionately known and used his birth date of 18^th December as the focal point of his tuning in. The information that he came up with could only have been known by someone who knew Munch well or a stalker, neither of which he matched.

My head nodded, and my mouth gapped open as the reading went on. This is the summary of what I was told about our little Minster Munch. He is as loyal as they come which is so very true. Loyalty in Munch’s world however, does not only relate to me but to anyone with food and can give him masses of fuss which takes us on to the next point. He believes he is the owner of many people and expects them to pander to his every need as he feels he is far greater than ‘just a dog’. His snob like personality (that is so spot on), helps him choose what he does and does not want in life. Hmmmm, has the numerologist been watching his eye rolling and sighing when he is given something below his expected standard?

Stubbornness is all part of his birth date I was told, so it’s not really his fault. Knowing this, it felt much easier to accept that it was not just my imagination that he was stubborn, It was a birth chart involuntary response that made him sit in protest earlier that day on a walk and not the fact that he wanted a taxi or bus home as I originally thought. His dramatic way of life and larger than life personality was his destiny and not the fact that he was spoilt from birth. He was not born to be a shrinking violet and his sense of entitlement was always meant to be.

Apart from all these diva-like qualities that are hard to ignore in him, he also has some of the most loving qualities possible. He is a friend to everyone he meets and loves to spread his joy wherever he goes. His sensitivity taps into people who need it and he has a calming nature that the neediest feel. He knows no fear as his bravery is as strong as can be. Lastly, his intuition should always be trusted as he senses things that we may be oblivious too.

Out of all this spot-on information about him, the nicest thing to hear was that he is happy being a Guide dog. The sense of purpose that he carries through life pleases him. Being of loving service to myself and others he meets along the way, helps to keep his tail wagging on day after day. His perfection that was written in the stars makes me fall deeper in love with him as time goes by. My naughty but nice dog was born just at the right time in just the right way.

My Lucky Life

Tags

Animal, Blind, Dog, Gratitude, Guide Dog, Labradoodle, Sight Loss

“I am so sorry to hear you have lost you vision” said the blurred figure in front of me. The sincerity in his voice was sweet but my ears tried to deflect the genuine regret onto someone who really needed it. Standing by the bus stop on the way back from work, we had spent the last ten minutes talking to someone who knew me but I had no idea who they were. I did not recognize his voice or his shadowy blurry outline, but he knew a lot about me which was a little bit strange to say the least.
I always seem to forget that people use their eyes to recognize others and not voices, unique sounding footsteps or method of deductions to recognize who is there. This person knew where I lived and knew my children and I had no idea of who he was as his new voice made its way into my memory bank to be filed alongside the masses of others I had met throughout my lifetime. It must have been the puzzled look on my face that told him that I had no idea of who he was which prompted him to explain that he used to live on my street. Phew, panic over.
The first time he said that he was sorry that I had lost my sight, I felt a little shocked at what he was saying as if I am honest I had never felt any regret from loosing my sight. This was however not a thing that you could share with everyone as it was not an easy concept to explain. The fact that I usually forgot that I could not see can be hard to comprehend so I usually kept that one to myself. Explaining to others however that I had gained so much insight from my sight loss may still have been alien to them but my reasonings may be a little easier to understand.
My sight loss although is not ideal, is not fatal. Unlike some of the other side effects of Marfan Syndrome, sight loss was inconvienent but not life threatening. If I had perfect sight from birth I don’t think that I would have the unique view on the world that I am blessed with. I would not have learnt to think outside of the box and learn alternative coping strategies to make me lead a fulfilling life. I would have not met others that I know in the sight loss community either that have enriched my life. Most importantly, if I had fully functioning vision then I would never had met Munch. So sorry I am not.
I loved the sentiment of this blurry figure that stood in front of me as he was coming from the most compassionate place and thanked him but even after explaining to him that I was thankful more than sorry he just didn’t get it. It is never easy to understand another person’s life when we only have our own lives to match it too. It is sometimes those who appear to be without that are the actual ones that have the most enriched lives. I love my life and all that it has brought and would never want to change anything about it. I am thankful every day for the lucky life that I lead and hope that we can all someday start to appreciate how lucky we truly are.

The Guide Of My Life

Tags

Animal, Children, Dog, Education, Freedom, Gratitude, Guide Dog, Kindness, Labels, Labradoodle, Love, Mobility, Thanks

The day was over. I could tell that he was relieved to be on the way home after a long week of guiding me around new places. Directions had never been my strong point but since loosing even more sight it had got worse. On duty Minster guided me away from the wrong turning yet again and led us into the right corridor. To the pattern loving sighted person, identical looking corridors must be ideal but to me it was a living nightmare. With no breaks in the monotonous blurry coloured walls from any shadowy landmarks, the labyrinth of alien newness seemed to continue for miles. Lucky for me Minster’s good memory kept us from getting lost.

This week, we had worked in three different secondary schools with a total of over 2,000 pupils. Finding my way to the schools was difficult enough with different routes and different modes of transport each day due to their locations. Walks, buses, taxis and trains all got us to where we needed to be. For a six-hour working day, we are out of the house for an average of eleven hours, but we have no choice as going directly by a unicorn is just not available to us unfortunately. Getting there is just the start of our day of moving around in hopeful bliss.

When off duty Munch becomes on duty Minster, he becomes the brains in our partnership. When we are shown the way through the school to our room he will remember it next time around with no hesitation. He then puts up with my dithering as I am convinced we need to go the wrong way but he stands his ground and leads us the proper way. He dodges the hazy mass of pupil traffic speeding towards us and leads me safely to the place that I would never be able to find alone. When on duty, he works so hard and never complains, he really is the magical reason that I can continue to work.

Hoovering up the dropped bits of food along the way and adoration from his surrounding fans tends to be the motivation that he needs to get him through the marathon of his working week. When his harness is slipped off when we enter our room, his Munch like qualities spring to life as he actively seeks mischief to cause. Greeting our clients with open paws and a toy to play with, he shakes off his professional persona and gets ready for some fun. Having a dog in the school has such a positive effect on the pupils and teachers alike as they gently stream in for a bit of the Minster Munch magic.

Each day when we leave work, I look forward to getting in so that Minster can transform into the Munch that we all know and love. Within minutes of entering the house I know he will be winding Angus the cat up, stealing my gorgeous granddaughter’s toys and running off with shoes. I really don’t mind one bit as he deserves to have downtime just like any one of us. After his funny five minutes hurtling around the house he will settle down for a cuddle. I hope that the thank you that I whisper into his ears each night, conveys how much I appreciate him. He is the guide of my life that I will always love unconditionally and will never stop appreciating.

I Have Missed You Human

Tags

Animal, Children, Dog, Gratitude, Guide Dog, Happiness, Kindness, Labradoodle, Love

Ah, it’s you!! I have missed you so much. The last time I saw you I licked your tears from your hands that had fallen from your face. They tasted of sadness, but I happily took them away from you as you sat there crying. As I placed my paw onto your leg I wanted you to know that I would use these paws to walk with you wherever you wanted to go so that you would not be alone. We may not be of the same species, but our love is of the same thing.
Underneath all the clean smells that you humans have, I can smell your unique scent that makes you who you are. I know where you have been over the last few days and hoped that you enjoyed every moment of it. I can smell what has been cooked around you from the smell on your clothes and I am jealous to say the least. I cannot smell what has made you cry. Is this a place that does not exist in my doggy world?
You have been to different places and eaten different things so what could be making you so sad? Is this what the human world calls problems? I know you are still a small human and not entered into the big human life yet, so things will get better soon. As my Guide Dog maid sits and talks to you we will both help you in whichever way we can, but I think my doggy advice is better than hers. Do you know what will bring happiness back into your life? This is what you need to do.
Forget you are you just for a moment. Forget you have things to do. Forget that thoughts tumble from your head and into words from your mouth. Forget that you have rules to follow and people to please. Forget what happened yesterday and forget to plan for tomorrow. Forget what or who made you cry and forget why. What you need to do is to remember my rules in life and your tears will turn to joy.
My rules are simple.
Make a choice to be happy and see the good in life.
Wag your tail over the simplest of things.

Sniff out new routes in life that you have never been before and start the adventure.
If somethings scare you or makes you sad simply walk away.
Make friends with everyone you meet as we all need company along the way.
Play at any given opportunity as life is too short for work alone.
Love everyone as you want to be loved yourself.
If you live by my rules I hope that next time I see you there will be no tears to lick from your hand unless they are tears of joy. If you ever need me to show you how I do it just let me know. Just bring a ball to a field with an open mind and watch how the simplest of things in life can bring you the most happiness. This is my idea of bliss and it will soon be yours so come and give it a go.

The Greatest Showman

Tags

Animal, Dog, Freedom, Guide Dog, Happiness, Humour, Personality, Pets, Showman, Smile, Speaking

You must have seen or heard them. Those adverts of adorable Guide Dogs that appear on T.V. and Radio highlighting the amazing work that they do to help people with sight loss remain independent in life and are the lifeline to many. The training that these dogs go through is immense and not all qualify due to the intense standard that they have to pass to make it. They obey commands, act with initative and selflessly serve the person that they are paired with, basically they are super dogs. With all of this in mind, I often stop and wonder how I ended up with ……… this!

Please don’t get me wrong, I mean I love him so much, but I often wonder how did he qualify? He was even a demonstration dog for the Guide Dogs whilst in training although nobody can quite figure out what he was meant to be demonstrating! His off-duty Munch qualities never cease to entertain as his big personality is always on show but his on duty Minster like qualities should show professionalism. Hmmmm.

Whilst at a friend’s monthly networking event last week, it was our turn to go and speak. I knew it was going too well when I told him to sit and he obeyed first time around. I mean, he never obeys first time around unless there is food involved (I am sure he must have been snoozing during the obedience part of his training). My suspicions were right to be raised when mid first sentence, my little 5’2” Minster Munch gently hopped up on his back legs like a lamb to try and steal the microphone. Not once but twice although I think that he felt the audience laughter was his encouragement to do it the second time.

Making his presence known is one of his specialities, so to add to his debut performance he also decided to leave the audience with an aroma that could only be produced by a dog or a rotten corpse. As we swam back to our seats after our brief talk, through the thick eye watering decomposing stench from his derriere, I questioned yet again how he had made it to be a Guide Dog. He certainly belonges more on stage than he did on harness.

We are starting to do some speaking events for Guide Dogs from next month on so maybe this is just a preview of what we have in store for us, Maybe I should request an extra mic at his level for each event to ensure he has his say? Maybe a spotlight could be placed above him on stage as he sits on a throne to direct the attention to the correct place? Whatever the future holds, I think we had better get perfecting his pawtograph ready for his fans as he steals each show. This Diva really knows how to make an impression!

Here We Go Again

Tags

Animal, Blind, Dog, Guide Dog, Happiness, Humour, Judgement, Pets, Sight Loss

Don’t you just love it when the thoughts you are having in your mind manifest in front of you on the face of another. It makes you feel like you are not alone in the world thinking these thoughts. My daughter captured our thoughts in the facial expression of on duty Minster as we entered a familiar conversation with a stranger. After chatting to a lovely lady about how cute Minster was, she asked the omnipresent question that always surrounds us when out. “Have you got a client waiting for him after his training finishes?” she started the rehearsed dialogue. She was shocked when I said he had been trained and was mine and said she thought that they were only for blind people. Here we go again.

In the last 20 months since having him I have been asked for my collection bucket as they thought I was a fundraiser, been quizzed by members of the public who become on the spot ophthalmologists, been ignored as a stranger talks to the person I am with instead of me (as if a blind person can’t talk) and numerous other things that are too legthy to go into. To be fair none of these have offended me, they have just intrigued me and made me think of how some sighted people think that people with sight loss look like? More importantly, is there a way that I can stop this from happening in the future? Here are some of the solutions my quirky mind thought up –

• Overdose on the blind stereotype by wearing dark glasses, use my cane alongside my odd-looking Guide Dog and carry a braille book wherever I go
• Pre record an audio recording stating yes, I am registered blind and give a brief answer to all the questions that I am always asked and play it as soon as the questioning starts as that way I will save myself so much energy.
• Get a Neon sign to attach to my head saying yes, I am blind and yes, he is my Guide Dog.
• Get a printed dogs coat for on duty Minster saying ‘I am with the blind one’ with an arrow pointing towards me.
• Teaching Munch to talk so that he can answer the questions as they may believe him more.
• Become vampire like and avoid going out until dark so that we don’t have to encounter many people.
• Move to a desert island and hope that no parrot ever mutters “are you training him?” so that we can live without question.

Or, we could just carry on loving it really despite our eye rolls that we now mirror in each other. We love meeting people and we will never tire of being asked the questions that people want to know. I think that this is a good thing as I think that these questions will be asked for a very long time.

Smiling His Way Out Of Trouble

Tags

Animal, Dog, Freedom, Gratitude, Guide Dog, Happiness, Humour, Labradoodle, Love, Pets, Positivity, Smile

This is Munch’s face that should show regret but shows something totally different. This is the reaction that I got back after I gave him a row for the second time that day for stealing the cat food from Angus. He swiftly walked off with glee after I had attempted to show my authority yet failed miserably. As he jumped on the sofa and lay on his back contentedly, paws to ceiling, he knew that he was invincible. Merrily brushing off my stern words he sighed deeply, smiled widely and allowed my adoration to commence. He had won yet again.

His first victory over me that day was when we were out in the garden and we were digging the flower beds in sync. I was attempting to plant, he was successfully causing a soil Tsunami nearby. There must have been a fault in the signalling system that day as whenever I said stop, he heard go as he carried on with his Munch like behaviour. As he washed away my futile attempt of a row with his doggy kisses over my face and a smile, he knew that he had won this battle as I stopped to play ball with him. He knew how to win an argument.

His second victorious win later that day had been when he ran off with one of my granddaughter’s soft toys yet again. As it had been in the washing machine a million times already that week, I tried to take it off him. As he knows I cannot see what he has, he comes up as close as he can to my face to show me what he has in his mouth and knows that the race is then on to see who will cross the finishing line with the object. As he hurtles through the house knowing that I will never catch him, he is always in the lead. Pretending to ignore his naughty behaviour will eventually pay off so I patiently waited for him to settle down with the toy in his mouth. When I did eventually get the toy back he gave me the sweetest of smiles as I lay my head next to his as he gently nudged the toy towards me. He had won me over again with his cheeky little smile.

As he uses his smile to charm his way through life, I feel blessed that I have been gifted such a quirky Guide Dog that I love so deeply. As he lays on his back with no care in the world, he knows that I will always forgive his mischievous ways and still shower him with the love and affection that he rightfully deserves. As he selflessly guides me through life and spreads his Munch magic with others, I hope that he will always keep smiling. As he smiles away with a belly full of cat food, I know he is planning his next victory he can have over his lowly maid and I am planning how to let him think he has won. It is sometimes worth losing just to see someone else’s happiness when they win.