When my dog Faith was really young and she had just become famous from having been on shows like Ripley's Believe it or Not, Oprah, Maury, and Nova, not to mention on shows around the globe, she had an amazing talent agent. She, my dog, had a manager and agent, as well as her own lawyer in Oklahoma for local issues, but she had an international lawyer as well. Many of you may know Attorney Debra Opri, she's in the Los Angeles area, and for a time, she was our representation when Faith's character was attacked by a would-be funny guy calling himself a comedian. I won't give his name, you would recognize it, and he would be given credence. I won't allow him that privilege. He purposely, and for money, made fun of a disabled dog who was also an E5 Sgt in the United States Army. He backwardly criticized me for not having a funny bone, for not taking this one on the chin.
When Faith was with us, Mike Maguire, my manager, managed to find us work all over the world. We traveled, and sometimes others traveled to see us. I have about 15,489 stories to tell about what happened to us, but the better stories are written and told in my book "Faith Walks", which can be bought on Amazon. I'll leave a link at the bottom of this blog. For the most part, I say. I say for the most part, but I didn't tell about the many many famous people we met along the travels because meeting famous people was never really that important to me. I think it was more important to most of them to have been able to brag about meeting Faith. To name a few, and this was all in ONE NIGHT, Faith and I were stranded in the Dallas Fort Worth Airport with Michael Irwin, the famous Dallas Cowboy, Michael Bolton, the singer, and a very excited Rick Springfield, another singer, who of course is such a dog lover. He screamed like a girl when he saw Faith, and she couldn't get enough of him either. It was magic.
What I have decided to do, not only because it needs to be done, but because I really liked my life on the road, is to ask Mike Maguire to rep me again. This time, I won't be traveling with a dog in tow. Let me just tell you that making my way through DFW or O'Hare was NOT fun as I dragged my luggage and carried a 27-pound dog draped over my shoulders. If and when she became too heavy, I just put her down and then let the show begin! Faith walked upright on her back legs, so when passengers and staff saw the dog running through the airports there were not only cameras flying, but men and women jumped from their sedentary positions to get a better glimpse! They had to glimpse because that dog could run!! She was OUT OF THERE and on her way to whatever plane she thought she should be on. I had to tackle her more than once as she attempted to go through restricted doors!
I'm going back on the road with a new and wonderful message. I'm going to speak about having the faith one needs of course, but also having self-appreciation, self-love, and the needed discipline it takes to be the best you that you can be. I've lost over 55 pounds after I turned 55 and I think there are a few people who want to hear how that can work for them too. I have published 5 books and have 12 to be published. I have traveled the world meeting with active and wounded soldiers, and I've met with countless hospitalized children and vets who have told me their stories. All of their stories have bled into and fed into my stories. I want the world to know that hope is there, it's available, and it's something that we have to actively seek and reach for. I want the world to see me as a motivator, an inspiration, and a person who can be counted on to think positively in the pursuit of finding better choices.
Mike will call me Monday, and we'll talk about it. I want this. I think I want to be on the road talking, moving, shaking things up a bit, and dancing for the world to see that you don't have to be 100% perfect to be exactly who and what you're supposed to be. You don't have to be pretty, you don't have to be younger, you don't have to be rich, you don't have to be famous or popular. You have a purpose, you have a reason to be here. If I can help you find that reason, I hope we can make it happen! God gave me a really big mouth and I don't mind sharing it. He also gave me a really big heart and a caring soul. I want to use both for Him in whatever way He deems fit, and this just feels good. It feels right.
Before, when I traveled with Faith, I would meet at schools, hospitals, gymnasiums, stadiums, event centers, churches, and military bases. We stood in the airports and in malls to allow anyone and everyone the opportunity to see an awesome and creatively magical dog who just couldn't be negative. That grin on her face was real! Oprah, after interviewing people for more than 25 years looked into the camera and stated that one of her favorite guests was a dog! She was talking about MY DOG, Faith. Faith had that "it" thing that creates in all of us the desire to follow her. She stood up and walked off whenever she got bored. She stood up and walked off whenever she saw something she wanted to explore. She stood up and walked off when she was hungry or if she wanted to say hello to someone. The point is, that she stood up on her own without the use of her front arms/paws because she didn't have them. She stood up by FAITH. We can too.
I'll motivate. I'll cheerlead. I'll push, and I'll pull. I'll speak and I'll try to do my best to radiate whatever message the Lord gives me, but I can already tell you it will be a positive and move-forward message; something like "Stand up and walk on" may be the basic theme. I may choose to dance rather than walk. I dance. I move and I rarely stop. If you ever wondered why I was given this dog, why she ended up in my house, and not someone else's house, just know that I make things happen. She needed me, I needed her. We needed each other, and we made the world look at what is possible. I am hoping to do that again, and I'm praying Mike says yes. He is by far, by very very far, the best damn agent in the freakin' world. We didn't get rich, it's not about that. It's about love, it's about work, it's about ethics, it's about the opportunity to bring it home to Jesus. I can't wait.
You know I'm taking this show to Scotland. You already saw that coming. Yep, I have my passport and I will make it to the land of my people! LOL...soon. Very very soon. I may wear an Armstrong kilt - - if they think I shouldn't wear it, if they think I don't deserve to, well hell, I'll just take it off! LOL...watch me! Part of the routine will be talking about being bold, being brave, and how I lost weight dancing. I may have to do a bit of a demonstration. Maybe. Just...well, yeah I will. C'mon, it's me. We will dance. Be ready Mike...bring the wife!! We're dancing all over the world.
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