My, formerly homeless, friend

Today I discovered a family member, all from spitting in a tiny vile for a DNA test! He is a very handsome young man of Armenian and Chinese descent! That made me very happy! I got another piece of news that made my heart smile very big! If you are my friend on Facebook you may have seen a picture I posted of a homeless guy that everyone in this neighborhood was afraid of. I saw him standing at the top of my driveway one day, I walked forward to speak but he disappeared as fast as he had appeared. He was fearsome looking, his eyes, set in a face that some would say had the look of the devil himself (how would they know?), were so light they looked ghostly and in the evening light seemed to shine out of his skull, but somehow I was never afraid of him. Our exterminator was pulling out one day as I pulled in; he was making hand motions to me to back out, leave! Leave my own driveway? Why? He was hollering at me, his eyes rolling in his head so that I could see the whites, saying, “Go back! He’s down there! I didn’t do my job, I’ll come back when he’s gone!” I looked but didn’t see the fearsome creature he was describing! I continued to stand on my porch alone and talk to him, he wouldn’t come down the driveway but he would stop and listen. I told him I had food for him if he would come get it, if I took steps toward him I knew he would disappear again. The exterminator took it upon himself to park at the top of my drive and warn people who were walking by that there was a homeless monster close by. I guess I have always been up for a challenge and this time was no different. I continued to tempt Mr. Homeless Guy with food and sweet talk and one day it happened, it took three weeks of cajoling and tempting but he finally came, walking very slowly and threatening to turn and run but I had gained his trust, he took the food from my hand, very gently, and then he took a little more. He finally started coming twice a day and eating food I left for him, I could see him sneaking past my big windows, he unaware he was being watched took his food and left, until one day when he didn’t… leave. I had broken through the defense and made a friend. I knew I couldn’t invite him in to live, my house is full of people and dogs but I made him comfortable on my porch leaving the door open so he could look in through the glass. With the help of my son we found someone that needed him and wanted him and now he is ensconced in a place where he sleeps on white fluffy pillows and this week was taken to a camp where children take their dogs to be trained and he is being used to help train those dogs! When I heard that today I was very happy.

You never know when you see a homeless person or Pit Bull if they might have the temperament of an angel and be able to help someone else down the road. Reminds me of the song my dad used to sing, “If I can help somebody as I pass along then my living shall not be in vain.”

I called him Bruiser, his new lady calls him Toad, but whatever you call him he was a life worth saving from living wild in the little forest behind my house, do you know someone like that?