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There are people who say “I’d die for my dog”.

In 1982, my then husband missed ship’s movement and we went back to Norfolk so he could take care of the problem.

We had to stay with a “friend” who lived above us because our old apartment had been rented to someone else.

We got there really late at night, too late to go to the base.

The “friend” called the MPs and they brought the Norfolk PD and VA state troopers to arrest him for being UA, because there was a $200 reward for doing so.

She also told them I had a “killer Doberman” with me.

So they come in like SWAT, handcuff him and a trooper puts me in a full nelson.
[why, I have no idea]

Meanwhile, that “killer Dobe” is watching all of this from the safety of a bedroom where I’d put him, through French doors.

Yes, he was a man-stopper but only IF I told him to be.

Otherwise, he just sat and watched.

So, for no effing good reason, a VA state boy speaks to the “friend” and I hear her say “Yeah, that’s the dog” and he said “I’ll take care of that”

He pulled out his weapon and pointed right at my poor dog, who was JUST SITTING THERE and was about to shoot him.

Fortunately, my prison guard dad taught me how to escape a full nelson and I threw my arms up, slithered out of the hold and simultaneously dove through the door and threw my own body across the dog’s, knocking him flat to the floor.

[this took mere seconds]

I heard some other man yell STOP!!! and the trooper lowered his gun.

I did not get up off that dog until they were gone.

Yes, I would have cheerfully taken the bullet for Tito and there was not even a fleeting thought about what I was going to do, while this was going down.

Gut reaction.
Save the dog.
NO MATTER WHAT.

And tonight, in the dense fog, a possum on the mountain zigged and then zagged and I hit it.

I feel like a murderer and can’t stop crying.

I tried to get it home to help it but it didn’t even make it for the 15 second run back to my car.

So right now, my soul hurts like hell and I can’t forgive myself.

This is how I’m built.