Many people know I walk every day… today was no different.
Got up a little early. Finally decided how to handle a client…
The Client Story
This client wanted me to build a website, so I built the test site on my website. Test sites are for looks only. Not the actual site. I told her she’d need hosting for her website. She said her relative had hosting. I said I’d need access.
She told me she wanted to see the pages she wanted on the site. She had paypal buttons for things, I explained that I would need access to set those up right. With that email she told me she wanted to set access rights (like a membership site) and on this other send out an email automatically. And… and…
So I told her what all of those things would need and I’d need access. Again she tells me her relative can set up me with access. She sends me downloads, tons of them. Yet again, no access. So I load this in a way it should load that stuff even after a site move.
She wants a full refund of her down-payment now because I did not make the website as she wanted, if I had communicated with her more she says. Yet every communication I didn’t get answers to what I needed.
Back to the walk.
So as I started my walk I decided to refund half her down payment. Because I did a lot of work, and while she was frustrated so was I. This was 4 blocks into the walk. We suddenly had a stray puppy following us. Puppy because it looked under a year but bigger than my 35 lb dog.
The dog was pretty but a bundle of energy… chasing my dog, running after us. The dog had a collar but no tag, but the dog never let me close enough to tell. A mile from home, we were on a rock road. I poured water for my dog, and turned to see a flying blur moving towards my left side. Over I went… onto my right, on my hip, my elbow and shoulder. The water bottle knocked from my hand. I retrieved it before it emptied, but there wasn’t enough to clean my elbow at that time, just enough for one more drink if my dog or the other needed it.
(Note: sad twist coming, you may want to skip this)
Well, on the way home, I start muttering about the gravel that apparently was under my skin, and about this terrorist puppy running everywhere. We were walking on the street with the nice houses. As trucks do, a truck came down the street. The puppy took off like a bolt after the truck. Sadly catching the first wheel 🙁 and the back.
The man who got out of the truck was my neighbor down the street. He moved the dog, who indeed had no tag. She was gone then. We called the pound. We talked for a bit. About his dog, and my dog. My little dog was jumping repeatedly at my arms trying to get me to hold her. (I thought she wanted to go home for breakfast, but I’d soon find out she was grieving as well.)
(Twist Over)
Once at home, my dog wolfed her food. I actually had to stop her twice. I washed my elbow several times because I could feel some small gravel under the skin. Finally just rubbed aggressively against a towel, knocking out the gravel and dust I couldn’t see but could feel. I pulled out my phone for a call an hour later, there was gravel all over it from the fall. Instead of being upset, I was sad.
So what is the lesson to be learned I found myself thinking. Even more so when a friend mentioned it, and mentioned the shock should make me appreciate everything more today. And I do. I appreciate that Luna is now (finally) in the office with me. She acted scared and depressed up until now. She’s snoring. My ribs are sore. But we are both ok. I am thankful for that. I am thankful that even if I didn’t have anyone to talk to in person, I have friends around the world.
I am not certain what the lesson is …. Hopefully I can tell you later…
For now, be thankful for who is with you today.
Live, Laugh, Love
MJ
