Stolen Cheese Samples
Working as a vendor at farmers’ markets is always so entertaining. The calm atmosphere that always seems to complement the weather, the kindness of the other vendors that never fail to make me smile, and the most prevalent feature is the people.
Every single person has lived their own lives with their own challenges and achievements. You never know what someone else might be going through. One of my favorite “games” to play in my mind is putting myself in their shoes and trying to guess why someone else is the way they are.
However, there was one instance where it wasn’t a person’s behavior I was observing; it was a dog.
People often walk their dogs when they come to the farmers’ markets, and by this point, I think I’ve seen every single breed of dog. From giant but gentle great danes, to small but fierce chihuahuas. But, for the first time ever, I met a veteran.
She was a German Shepard, her fur thick and black, adorning a harness that said, “Retired Military Dog, please ask to pet.” At first, I was a bit nervous because the weekend before, I had met a very friendly cop in Vermont at my brother’s hockey tournament. The cop had his own K9 unit, and showed me a cool, but graphic video from his body cam of his dog taking down a criminal. It made me realize that this dog’s handler could utter one simple command, and the dog wouldn’t hesitate to attack.
As the German Shepherd’s owner stepped up to our stand, I noticed that the man looked completely exhausted. Dark bags under his pale blue eyes, his hair was a bit unkempt as if he had woken up without a care for it, and his overall demeanor was flat.
I debated even asking to pet his dog as I was worried it would be a bother, so I greeted him and asked how his morning was going. He replied with a small shrug, saying that his dog Mika had woken him up and was practically begging to go on a walk. As he was speaking, I felt something lick my hand from underneath the tablecloth. I pulled my hand back quickly, not expecting it whatsoever. When I looked down, all I saw was Mika’s snout poking out from under the tablecloth, her tongue lolling from her mouth. Mika’s owner chuckled and tugged lightly on the leash, commanding her to stay at his side. He then apologized and asked if he could have one of our samples. My mom answered and offered him some sliced cheese on a toothpick, but while Mika’s owner was distracted, she took the cheese sample from his hand.
She looked so proud of herself, her fluffy tail wagging high. Her owner told her to sit, which she did immediately, while he was handed another sample from my mom.
Mika seemed very focused after that, seeming to be able to sense her owner’s slight frustration. Her eyes were trained on him, paying no mind to any of the other people or their dogs walking around them.
At first, I thought, “Wow, this dog is really well-disciplined. She must’ve gone through a lot of training.” Then I realized that she probably has gone through a lot. She’s probably seen things I couldn’t even imagine. She broke her focus to look at me, and I noticed the scar on her ear. “This poor dog”, I thought, feeling tempted to just reach out and give her as many pets and cheese samples as she wanted.
Then I heard my mom ask what Mika’s job was while she was part of the military. Her owner gave a prideful smile down at Mika, his flat demeanor shifting to one of gratitude. “She was a bomb dog, sniffed out bombs and saved thousands of other soldiers’ lives.” He answered, taking a small pause before saying, “And mine too.”
My mom and I were equally shocked, and I couldn’t stop myself from asking if I could pet her. I mean, she saved people’s lives!
As I pet her soft black fur, I thought about Mika’s life. She was a hero, a soldier, and a companion. And she had witnessed horrific things, but here she was, s. Stealing cheese samples and being goofy. I realized I wanted to have resilience like Mika, to be able to endure challenging situations and not let it interfere with other aspects of her life. I know that’s a bit complicated for a dog, but Mika changed my perspective on true strength forever.
