Another reason never to judge others or limit our hospitality

A little background first…I have a dog, a wonderful 12-and-a-half year-old Yellow lab/Golden Retriever mix for whom I have to find a new home. The only apartments I can afford don’t allow dogs.

So I’m at my gig last night, sitting at The Noggin Room bar during a break. I notice a dark figure at the far corner of the bar, cloaked both by the shadows and his dark clothing including a wide brimmed hat pulled low over his eyes. He had piercings all over the place and tatoos to boot. No one was sitting near him, and I witnessed several patrons start to sit in the empty seats next to him but then think the better of it once they got a look at this character.

I was conversing with a nice, well-dressed couple sitting next to me. At some point they mentioned their dog, and I shared my predicament with them. They soon departed and I headed back to the stage to tune up for my next set. Getting there, I realized I needed another water for the set and returned to the bar to get Dean to fill me up. I went to the space next to the man in the shadows to order. He looked at me and smiled, and I said, “Hi.” I was not prepared for what happened next…

He said, “I was just on the phone with my grandpa. I don’t mean to be nosey, but I overheard you talking about your dog. My grandpa is alone, and his dog died a few months ago. I thought he might be interested in a companion. I’m also going to check with my mom, who loves dogs and lives on a farm.”

“Wow…really? That’s amazing.”