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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72" style='word-wrap:break-word'><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal>Leaving On a Jet Plane<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>By DeAnna Quietwater Noriega<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Ten times I have gone to the airport to fly to Morristown New Jersey to meet someone to share my life journey. Sometimes I have been grieving the loss of a dear friend. At other times I went knowing that I was entering a new adventure with excitement and eager anticipation. I never knew who I would meet or whether my new friend would be exactly who I needed in my life.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Training with a guide dog requires faith in oneself and determination to begin again with a dog who doesn’t know me or particularly want too be my partner. Like learning to dance with a stranger, I have to adjust how I move to synchronize my steps to my partner. I have to pay attention to subtle clues as to how I can build the rapport to become a teammate. What character traits make this dog unique in their approach to navigating along crowded streets filled with traffic, other pedestrians, sidewalk furniture, broken pavement and obstacles in our path.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Each time I have made this journey, I have learned new techniques to achieve the desired outcome of forging the necessary bonds to achieve the synergy that is a well-functioning team. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Does my new dog need a cheerleader to support his timidity and give him confidence? Does this dog need to be handled firmly in order to establish that I am the one in charge? Does she have tendencies that will need to be curbed so as not to become a problem in future? For example, does she sniff too much, distract from working to engage with other dogs, scavenge or want to chase after scampering wildlife? How does my new dog indicate the things he sees? Time is short and we race through new challenges and experiences designed to prepare us to be on our own.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>This time, my new friend bounded across my room to place both front paws in my lap. He wagged joyfully and tried to lick my face. He is a two-year-old Labrador Retriever the color of a toasted marshmallow. He has red-gold ears and muzzle which accent his amber eyes. He is 64 pounds of puppy enthusiasm, standing 22 inches at the shoulder. His name is Flynn.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Flynn’s exuberance seems to say: “Oh goody, I got a lady! Please love me and take me away from this gruff trainer!” I learn that he was raised by an older woman who was also raising an eight-month-old German Shepherd and had a pet cat. He was born in February, just before the closure of the school because of covid. His trainer was a young woman who had accepted a work-from-home position, since she had a new baby. His puppy-raiser sent along a stuffed duck with a squeaker inside. She said he liked to sleep with it.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>One of the things I loved was his unique way of expressing his enjoyment when he thought he was doing a good job. His tail was carried in a curve over his back. He wagged it when he was sure he was making the best choice in avoiding broken sidewalks. The tip of that tail whisked against the underside of my forearm like butterfly kisses. He exhibited confidence combined with cautiousness, moving smoothly from one edge of the sidewalk to the other to ensure that I had the smoothest section available to walk upon. If Flynn works the average number of years in-harness, I will be in my eighties and will be able to request that a dog be brought to me for a home placement. Then again, he might be the last dog that I partner with in this dance of life.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>DeAnna Quietwater Noriega<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Cell: 573-544-3511<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Email: <a href="mailto:dqnoriega@gmail.com"><span style='color:#0563C1'>dqnoriega@gmail.com</span></a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Author of <i>Fifty Years of Walking with Friends<o:p></o:p></i></p><p class=MsoNormal><i>https://www.dldbooks.com/dqnoriega/</i><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>