The One Who Always Gets Away

Tags

Alternative, Dog, Guide Dog, Labradoodle, Mischief, Work And Play

Have you ever been to a Children’s concert where there is that one child that is happily doing their own thing whilst every other child does what they are meant to do? Well, Munch is the canine equivalent to that. During our free runs, most other dogs can be found near the heel of their owner and listening obediently. Then there are the Munch type of dogs that explore every corner of the open space that they can find. Tongues flopping freely out of one corner of the mouths, these dogs seem to be oblivious to anything else but opportunities.

Munch’s version of a good time includes an abundance of grass, easily led dogs to corrupt, rivers to practice his aqua aerobics in and muddy puddles to splash in. Anything else is a bonus. If stray sticks end up as a temporary play object, so be it. Passing dog walkers who part with a treat or two, all the better. A fenced off field full of friendly looking cows to prance over to say hello to, just his thing. A ditch full of muddy water to accidently fall into but remains playing in for a while, his idea of heaven. Combine all of these and you get one happy dog.

When we got asked out on a doggy play date, I knew that he would be one very happy dog. When Dolly the stunning chocolate Labrador and Rocky the handsome Chihuahua come to pick us up to go to a dog friendly country park, he was so happy. When we got there, he was the first to leap out of the car to execute his mission to run like the wind. As Dolly and Rocky had the odd sniff, Munch was miles ahead in any obscure places he could find. My panic for his whereabouts was always calmed by my kind sighted friend.

Even when our shoes were sinking in soggy mud on the wrong path we accidently took and my arms resembled a windmill trying to stay upright, he rustled away in some far away bush. Dolly and Rocky remained with us as we comically carried on and my friend become my caring guide as my guide dog was away on his travels without a care in the world. The guiding long cane, a steady replacement for Munch, never stopped to sniff or pee once so all was good. Hearing his high-speed running in surround sound around us, made me so happy as I knew his heart was content.

Being in harness by my left-hand side when he is working must be so tiring for him and it shows his dedication to his jobs which I will always appreciate. This free-spirited off duty side to him is the one that I love to see the most though as he floppily bounces through nature doing his own thing in his own way. As he goes away on his adventures that he will come back from soaking and caked in mud, I cheer him on and know that he needs this space to be himself.

Being the one that always gets away can be so much fun.

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He Actually Made The Nice List

Tags

Dog, Guide Dog, Humour, Mischief maker, New Year

He made the Nice list. I am not sure how, but he did it. I was thinking that maybe he may have slipped onto the naughty list after his Munch like behaviour, but I was wrong. Santa, friends and family all made sure that Munch had a lovely Christmas surrounded by edible and non-edible gifts and lots of love and attention. It appears that Santa was in a forgiving mood this year. Even when Munch sniffed out all his presents from under the tree one night (thoughtfully leaving everyone else’s) and unwrapped them on the living room floor, Santa chose to let it slip.

Santa has been in a very forgiving mood this year towards Munch. It may be because he knows that when Munch becomes guide dog Minister as soon as the harness is slipped on, he becomes a total angel guiding me around. Well, he is usually an angel on harness minus a few slip ups. I mean, the time in a supermarket when he peeked his head through a man’s legs to sniff his sausage that he held in his hand (just to clarify, a dog food sausage) and nearly got me chucked out and him put on a dodgy doggy register was an innocent mistake. As was the time that he chose to jump nearly 6 foot up a tree (whilst on harness) to play chase with a friendly squirrel was a momentary lapse in concentration. The time that he shot in between my lovely 4’11” mothers 25” legs to give her a loving cuddle in my Uncles funeral which left her riding him like a backward facing jockey was a miscalculation in spatial awareness. None of which were his fault.

He is always the first one to offer help in anyway he can. Let’s talk about the time that he helped clean up the immediate environment in my granddaughter’s party. Let’s be honest, why put carpet down in an indoor play area when food can get squished into the carpet? His hoovering up of the debris from the food droppers was his way of alleviating extra work from the poor stressed out staff. It was after this experience that he took it upon himself to clear up non-edible but totally play worthy objects. On one occasion whilst out shopping, we are still unsure if he picked up a stray tennis ball in a shop or on the ground outside, but he was first one the scene to remove this dangerous trip hazard. Only as he jumped in the car did my friend notice his heroic gesture, secured in his mouth. A few months on and his face has yet to appear on Crimewatch for theft, so we are putting it down to his innate environmentalist streak and not kleptomania. This dog is all heart.

His off-duty life throughout the year has been just as eventful and equally concerning but at least it has not been boring. From his weakness for humping golden coloured male Labradors to leading other dogs into mischief, he loves to express his leadership. Getting stuck in the most random of places and falling of beds has become a weekly habit that he seems to be reluctant to let go of. I have learnt to appreciate his Lordships sense of entitlement and stubbornness that makes him who he is. Angus the cat on the other hand, is struggling to bond with Munch despite trying his best by rubbing into Munch and kissing him daily. The incident with a dead rodent that Angus gifted us one night plus a few chewed-up spiders that Munch mourned over has made Munch stay distant from this feline destroyer.

2018 has been an eventful year with this furry soul mate of mine. With our book being released in seven months, I wonder if anyone will believe that he is a fully trained guide dog and not an imposter in a Hi-Vis harness. I hope you have enjoyed reading about his antics over the last year and we will always be here if you fancy reading some more of our daily lives in the next year to come. All of you who read and comment on our posts are always in our thoughts as we love to read about your lives too. Know that your writing makes such an impact on people that we may only ever meet online but their energy is omnipresent.
P.s. if you too struggle to do things that will keep you on the nice list, rest assured that if this little Minster Munch can remain on the nice list, you can too. As you step into 2019 and ever wonder what to do in a situation, just stop and think what Munch would do and do the same. Or maybe not….

Birth, Death And Transformation

Tags

Celebration, Death, Dog, Gratitude, Guide Dog, Life lessons, Love, Numerology, Thanks, Transformation, Wishes

With birthday wishes flying at him from all directions, he wore his birthday badge with pride. A “Happy Birthday dog” here and a “Aw, he is 4 today” there, he pranced down the corridor in work loving attention that he was drawing to himself. I may have had a little bit of an input into his badge wearing today but he wore it with pride. When he came into this world 4 years ago today it seems he was destined for the limelight.

In Astrology, those born on December 18th are “friendly and charming with a deep sense of kindness, perceptiveness and compassion. Moralistic yet forgiving outlook on life is another feature of those born on this day. Assertiveness, alertness and intense curiosity is one way to describe these individuals the temper tantrums, moodiness, rebelliousness and frustrated behaviour are also mixed in with these charming souls”. Spot on universe, spot on.

This is his third birthday that he has spent with us and each year he gets more and more spoilt. This year he had lots of presents from family members and friends, a doggy cake and doggy beer which he chose not to consume. As our celebrations went on through the night, my appreciation for my little Minster Munch grew by the minute. He has certainly made his mark in this world over the last four years.

December 18th evokes a mixture of emotions for me, as although it is my furry soul mate’s birthday another two events happened on this day. Eight years ago today, my beautiful grandmother passed away. She was the sweetest person that I had ever known and only ever spoke kindly of people. As unconditional love oozed out of her, you could never feel anything but pure bliss in her presence. After a short illness, she passed away peacefully which was her constant state of being whilst alive. The candle that I light in memory for her every year, helps remind me of the warmth that she always showed to those around her.

Not only does this day symbolize the birth and death of loved ones but it also reminds me of transition. Four years ago to this day, I worked my last day in my current job after handing my notice in. As my eye sight deteriorated, I got to a point that I could no longer get around independently. What I was unaware of was when I was leaving my job with gritted teeth was that Munch was celebrating his first birthday. A mere eleven months later and our worlds met and became one. Divine right timing made our paths cross at exactly the right time of me needing a guide dog and him being ready to guide.

The variety that this day holds will always mean so much to me. The joy of birth, the loss of an earth angel and the transition between the dependant and independent world, all hold different meanings. The universal meaning of them all however, is about the meaning of life. Birth, death and anything in between will provide you with any meaning that you want to seek out. For me, the birth of Munch, my pause in my work life and the physical death of my much-loved grandmother meant that I learnt to value each moment in life. Each moment can be the moment that things can change. so live with no regrets, just with blessings of the guaranteed now that we always have.

My Furry Healer

Tags

Dog, Guide Dog, Healer, Healing, Humour, Marfan Syndrome, Mobility

Peering lovingly down at my furry footwarmer, I should have guessed something was up. On numerous occasions over the years, Munch and my sweet rescue cat Angus have laid across different parts of my body healing me where I didn’t even know I needed it. I love how animals can sense things in the human body before even the human can. Four years ago, before I was hospitalized with pneumonia, Angus and his brother Arnold took it in turns to lay by my feet and head and act as a healing channel even before I knew that I was ill. They had never done it before and never did it afterwards,
This time it was Munch’s turn to take on the role of healer. Throughout the day in work he lay on my foot back and forth and in the night, he came to bed and lay his head on my knee. It was a little odd for him as usually he expects me to do the running when it comes to showing affection. The following day, when sorting out the mountain of laundry, I walked into the side of an armchair and my patella began sliding out of its comfy place like a safety chain on a door lock. Luckily, I realized what was happening and straightened my leg to prevent yet another dislocation. Seven times on one joint was enough and I was willing to do anything to avoid the eighth.

If you have had a dislocation in the past, you will know how painful they can be. I have had numerous breaks, fractures, ligament damage soft tissue damage and most other things in the past but the numerous dislocations that have graced my body are probably the most painful. The joys of Marfan Syndrome are that the unexpected always seems to be the host of surprise parties when it comes to your body. When the Fibrillin 1 throughout your body decides that it fancies mixing it up a bit, guaranteed a hospital visit will be on the cards. Some Marfan patients are luckier than others but clumsy ones like me always seem to draw the comical short straw.

One of the worse things about a quick trip to the A&E department I have found is the explaining to hospital staff how it happened which can be more painful than the actual injury. Regarding my frequent patella dislocations, I have had to explain many scenarios from how I slipped in the shower (washing off dog poo that I had just slipped in whilst out walking), to dislocating it after playing keepy uppies with a balloon in work, to falling over a chair whilst demonstrating laughter yoga to 35 teenagers. The other times in between you really don’t want to know. Telling the hospital staff that I put it back into place myself and do not need any pain relief as I am doing breathing techniques and unicorn meditations, only adds to the oddity of these visits.

Luckily this time however, I managed to keep my patella secure as it is currently being supported by my one of many knee braces which range from Rococopesque to a more discreet version. Bizarrely, the day after this happened, I had a letter from the hospital offering me an appointment for my pre-assessment for my knee reconstruction early next year. I had already cancelled it once as I stupidly thought that my patella had become quite comfy where it was meant to reside but the soft tissue around it that is currently having a pity party and has tantrums when I weight bare, has different ideas. It looks like I may have to go ahead with it and add to my collection of Marfan Syndrome related operations.
This sounds like a start of a classic joke though as I wonder how the heck I am going to get around.

I have been in a full leg case three times and got it stuck between the passenger seats of a car twice and between my bed and the wall to name but a few examples. Clumsy is my natural mode to operate in so I am not sure how this operation malarkey will pan out. Apparently, I will be back walking in two weeks but will remain in a leg brace for three months due to the unpredictability of the Marfan’s make-up and my previous history. I have a sneaky feeling that when I am back in work and in the swing of everyday life, a boisterous guide dog, crutches, a leg brace and numerous bags for work may end up like a game of Buckaroo, where my pantomime like donkey grace will provide hours of entertainment.

Let’s hope my furry healing footwarmer and his co-worker Angus are on hand for the after affects of my comedy show. I think I may need them.

The One With The Dog

Tags

Dog, Education, Guide Dog, Judgement, Kindness, Labels, Life lessons, Thanks

“They have asked to see the one with the dog” he chuckled. Now, many people may take offence to the fact that everyone knew the dog, but nobody really knew me. For me however, I loved it. Pre-Munch life, I was recognized by “so and so’s mother”,but these days my identity had also grown to include the owner…sorry… maid to the unusual guide dog that everyone knows and loves. Not only in my personal life but now my work life, I was recognised by my furry soul mate that led me through the day.

Being 1 of the 4 school counsellors in a school that we worked in, means that we share a case load, but pupils could request to see a specific one if there was availability and many had asked for the “one with the dog”. I was under no illusion that this was because of me as a person but I knew that my better half of our partnership was what they wanted to see. My early fears of not wanting to draw attention to my public display of blindness had long gone out of the window as I settled into the synched-up life that Munch brought with him.

Throughout our two years together, I have heard many words innocently leaving people’s mouths as we pass. From “it’s that blind woman again” to “that blind dog is there” comments tend to follow us around wherever we go. What I love about working with children is that they say the most innocent things such as “how does she know what seeing is if she can’t see?” and “do you think she can see us?” which makes my internal giggle bubble up. I would prefer this though to the silence that sometimes surrounds us when we encounter people for the first time.

Silence to me is a far scarier sound to hear. It is the unsaid words in the silence that creates the uncertainty that is present in the atmosphere that creates the unease. Hearing what is on someone’s mind makes me smile whether it is politically correct or not. Even the most hurtful of comments can come from a place of curiosity and not hate. The comments that we hear are always received with love and amusement. Being known as the one with the dog is totally fine with me. I could be known as far worse.

Caught In The Act

Tags

Alternative, Children, Dog, Education, Guide Dog, Humour

In Quantum Science, there is a theory that if an “observer” watches an event happening, then they can affect the observed reality in front of them. It is believed that particles act as waves and pass through a barrier and meet at the other end through a process called ‘interference’. I may not be a Quantum Scientist (although it is on my bucket list) I believe that this is the universal law that keeps happening to Munch and I in our daily life. Left observation free, our lives could be pretty normal, but it is fact the observation of others on our seemingly odd behaviours that implants shocked expressions on peoples face.
Let me give you an example. One day in work last week, I was minding my own business using a chair to support my sideward star shaped body, when I was interrupted by a member of staff bringing in a pupil to see me. Admittedly, he was faced with my outstretched foot at his chest level as I was just finishing off my yoga pose but was that enough of a reason for his fear-stricken voice to tremble with concern. The “Sorry I was just moving the chair” excuse did not seem to convince him that I was less ninja like and more therapist like.
The original reason why I had been doing this back-stretching exercise was that my back was aching and I needed to move. My scoliosis plays up now and again and sends the surrounding muscles into meltdown, so I tend to use yoga to stretch them back into their happy place and today I needed yoga 101 to help with the pain. When I was lying on the office floor during my lunch hour, doing some gentle butterfly kicks to ease my lower back, Munch grew concerned. He intuitively knew that exercise is crueller than kind to me, so he smothered me with sloppy kisses as he tried to help me regain my normal state of breathing. Right on cue, another member of staff knocked on the door and seemed relieved when I got up to answer the door to them. They thought that Munch was licking me to bring me around from some sort of injury! Glass panelled doors have a lot to answer for.
For the third time that day, a person on the other side of the door was observing something that wasn’t what it seemed. When a client was late for their appointment, I rang the member of staff that deals with appointments. Her amused voice told me that she had spent the last five minutes reassuring the client that there wasn’t a bear in my room with me, that it was actually a dog. It was Munch and I playing catch and Munch was jumping up high to catch the ball, the client looked in to see what looked like a hairy bear on its hind legs. Had the client looked in a fraction of a second earlier or later they would have realized it was a large dog jumping up. We apologised for scaring her and normality was resumed.
Not only do things always happen in threes to us but we always get caught doing the most bizarre things at the most awkward times. I blame the law of interference for our mis-fortunes. I think the observers must be controlling our behaviour and if left unobserved we may actually be what others call normal.

Second Year Anniversary

Tags

Anniversary, Celebration, Dog, Guide Dog, Kindness, Thanks

With a tongue kissing my nostril and 6 stone of sheer love squashing into my body, I awoke to the sweetest feeling imaginable. Gazing into Munch’s blurry figure in front of me, I returned his affectionate wake-up call and cuddled him back. My “Happy Anniversary” wish to him was answered with some more sloppy kisses being planted all over my face. It was officially two years ago today that I had received the first sloppy kiss from my beautiful soul mate and I had loved every single one of them.
The day that Munch came hurtling into the house like a loose cannon, was the day that everything changed. As the universe had decided to gift me the least subtle symbol of blindness, I had no choice but to learn to wear my blindness on my sleeve after keeping it hidden for years. The beauty of meeting such a mesmerising soul was that as I was so busy falling deeper and deeper in love with my quirky new friend, I had no time to care what others may think of my new permanent accessory. Being led around by this majestic looking soul on the first day we met, I knew that our future together would be so much fun.
Throughout our two years together I have met people that I never would have without him and heard stories that I never knew existed. We have been shown compassion from the most beautiful loving souls as they are intrigued by the world of sight loss and guide dogs. We have been places that I would never have been confident enough to go alone and had avoided most of my life. Life changing opportunities have been given to me that would never have appeared without Munch in my life. This blog never would have been started without having such an entertaining soul to write about.
To anyone who supports guide dogs in any way, THANK YOU. Without the generosity of such kind-hearted people and the passion and dedication from the staff of guide dogs, such partnerships would not be possible. Without meeting Munch my life would have got smaller as time went on as I would not be able do a fraction of the things that I am able to do today. These dogs are more than just for work. They are the reason that people with sight loss can continue to live independently in a sight rich world. These are our key to successfully living.
If I had to tell you how I feel about you Munch, I don’t think the words exist. I hope each kiss I place upon your nose, lets you know how truly loved you are. I hope each time I massage your hard- working body, you understand the thanks I give for your guidance. With each new toy that you are bought, I want to reward you for your dedication. Here is to celebrate lots more anniversaries with you my furry hero. I feel like the luckiest person alive. Thank you Munch.

The Stages Of Learning

Tags

Blind, Children, Dog, Education, Guide Dog, Kindness, Life lessons

With tiny soft fingers brushing my extra long ones, we walked side by side as we were led around the aisles. Avoiding customers and cages of goods ready for the shelves, on duty Munch made shopping possible. Taking us to our usual products in the shop, he waited patiently as my beautiful granddaughter’s little legs caught up with us. Here stood, the novice, competent and expert in the guide dog world.

Learning about animals is one thing that a child can never learn too early. It not only helps a child learn about empathy and how to care for another but along with many other benefits, it also taches them to have respect for all living things. She was introduced to Munch when she was 9 months old and he was nearly 2 and their love and respect for each other has blossomed into beauty. As she gently cuddles her gentle giant, they melt into each other with unconditional love.

When I was first introduced to Munch, I never thought that I would get the hang of not only the taking care of a dog but also the numerous commands and body positionings that you need to know for work with a guide dog. Reaching the competent stage of being confident enough to work with Munch anywhere has taken quite a while. We are blessed that our oddness in life is the common theme that has united us as one and helped us keep our oddness alive.

The expert in this new world is Munch himself who I am sure has lived many lifetimes and brought with him wisdom from each one. I joke that he was not put on this earth to work with his entitled view of where he fits in the world, but I cannot imagine him being anything else. He loves it when we are out meeting people and guiding me in an experienced manner that comes to him with ease. He could never be a stay at home dog. This wise old sage knows life lessons that many have yet to discover.
Learning from such cute wise experts helps to satisfy the inquiring mind. As the “why’s” fall out of my granddaughter’s sweet mouth, I feel blessed that we have Munch as an example of the answers to give. Why I need a guide dog, why he needs a harness, why we need to show him so much love and why he is such an important part of the family are the why’s in life that I never tire of answering. I have a sneaky feeling that Munch never minds teaching either as he leads us through life, leaving the trail of Munch magic behind him.

Monster Munch

Tags

Alternative, Beauty, Dog, Guide Dog, Judgemental attitude, Not scary

Many a person has told me that Munch reminds them of either their own dog or a dog that is famous from TV. I remember Sprocket from the 1980’s Children’s programme Fraggle Rock and understand why people make the resemblance between the two.

People have also told us that Munch looks like scruffy dog Alfred from Heartbeat

There have been numerous other likings that Munch has been linked to but as I can’t see what they mean I just take their word for it. There are times however that people comment on his appearance in not such a nice way.

Whilst out shopping a few months ago, we stepped out of a lift and were confronted by a less than happy lady. The words “Arrgghh, I thought I was a gorilla” screamed a lady who was kneeling to get something from a lower shelf. As we passed by, she continued her less than flattering comments to the person that she was with by saying that it was the weirdest and strangest looking dog ever. Obviously, diplomacy was not her strong point, but neither was sensitivity ours. Munch walked on unfazed by her judgement, so I followed his lead and let her carry on in her gorilla survival mode.

There have been many times that young children have leapt out of his way with petrified parents trailing behind as they see Munch approach. Parents in supermarkets shielding their children behind them as this canine cruises by is a common occurrence. I am mindful that not everyone likes dogs and can be scared especially if there has been an incident with one, so I keep him as far as way as possible from people. More than once we have heard the words “shouldn’t be allowed in shops” spoken loudly enough for Martians to hear but he takes it in his horse like stride.

If I had to like Munch to any type of monster I think it would be Sulley from Monster Inc. The big, hairy and scary look may be what non-dog lovers may see but his loving, soft and sensitive side is all that I know. Just like Sulley, as soon as everyone gets to know him they fall in love with his unconditionally loving ways. My little Monster Munch is like so many other misunderstood larger than life beings. Size only really matters if it is coming from a narrow mind. The only thing that this monster could scare away is somebody’s sadness so keep scaring this away Munch and keep fear at bay. We all need a Monster like Munch in our lives just to remind us that judgement says more about us that what is being judged.

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.