People assume that because we were on the Oprah Winfrey Show in 2006, we're either famous, rich, or maybe both. Nothing could be further from the truth. Let's start with why we were on the show, shall we? I owned a very famous dog named Faith. Faith was famous for two reasons: she was bipedal and on television. She was born without the use of her two front legs. One was never present, and the other was born twisted and set behind her. I don't do dog health, so I can't give you the reasons. I can say that the vets who looked at her said that the mother dog must have been aged or had some sort of genetic illness to pass that sort of thing down to her puppies at birth. The mother dog was approximately twelve when she had her last litter, the one Faith was a part of.
The mother dog was a full-blood black Chow, and though Faith was yellow, the only way anyone could have known she was half Chow would be to squish her face. When you did that, you could see the Chow; otherwise, she resembled a Labrador mixed with maybe a shepherd of some sort. Faith stood up and walked on her own back legs and was 37" tall when she did so. She weighed just about 27 pounds and was the most alert and feisty animal I ever knew. She was on top of the world every waking moment of her life until she became older; she really was a good dog.
We put Faith directly in the Lime Light on purpose; we wanted to show people that you don't have to look OK to be OK. You don't have to be perfect to be perfect. You can be you, and that's enough. Faith was the best at being the ambassador of love no matter where she went and no matter who she met. We made over 300 flights together, and before that, we traveled by car locally. To say the dog was an international success would be accurate. She was recognized the world over. People flocked to us when they saw us in the airports and on stages. She was a show-stopper. The thing I really liked about her is that she, being a dog, was never judgmental. She didn't care who was petting her as long as someone was.
Taking Faith around the world meant giving up my day job. I was a professor or adjunct professor. I worked for several colleges both on-site and remotely. I was unable to keep that up if I needed to take Faith about, so yes, I made that choice. It wasn't one I wanted to make. I lost a great deal of money, status, and possible tenure, but it was something I felt I needed to do. I think I made the right choice. I know she changed people, and I know they appreciated meeting her and being near or with her. I was reminded over and over again how callous others can be, as I expected to be paid and was often stiffed by colleges, schools, and businesses who would hire us on a Net 30 basis and either not pay or pay us an amount quite less than what we had agreed. It was heartbreaking.
After Faith was unable to do what she did, go where she needed to go and do what she was doing, I made the decision to go back into teaching, but it was not the same. I was teaching at the high school and middle school level, and times had really deteriorated from 2005 when I had left to take Faith around the world. It was unreal how students treated teachers and how the administration wouldn't back the teachers up when necessary. I went back into selling and servicing insurance, and that's what I'm doing now. I was recently released from my job because the agent couldn't afford to continue to pay me. He wanted me to go commission, but that's not what we had agreed upon, and no one in this state wants to use that carrier at this time due to their 50% policy rate increase. No. Salary is the only way to go.
I'll be OK. I have my licenses, and I have experience. I'll bounce back and, in fact, have an interview today to work as a Claims Adjuster for another good company. If I get it, I'll update it and let you know. I have a good feeling about it. If not, I will pray about it and do what needs to be done. God is in charge today, just like He was in charge when I left one opportunity to pursue another. He has His hand in everything. All I have to do is have faith...well, I did have Faith, didn't I? She taught the world a few things, and she taught me a few things too. God is just waiting on me to ask, so I'm asking. I'll rest now and do what I'm told; that's the best freedom out there. When you align yourself with God, you are truly free.
You can even be a bit feisty if you need to be.
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