The Writing Gourmet
A Bittersweet Tail
Today's tale about a woman who stole a dog at a supermarket hit a nerve...
I faced sweet and spicy experiences on my road travels, like a honey bee in flight; I was stricken by untimely challenges. One afternoon in Las Vegas, Tiger (a bold and amazingly loyal angelic white Llaso Apso) and I were in front of Lady Luck Casino. It was my idea to leave my well-trained long-haired partner in the shade with water the doorstep of the entryway while I tried to hitch a safe ride back home to California. As I was walking inside, an older man called out to me, "Nice dog!" I got an uneasy vibe but tuned it out.
Fifteen minutes later, I left the casino. My best friend was MIA. Shocked and disoriented like a beekeeper with stolen bee colonies, I stood outside in the hot sun. I tried to fight back the tears. After a long search there was no rescue. My canine buddy was gone. I cried all night long.
At dawn, at cafe I ordered a cinnamon roll, tea, and honey. I was like a devoted beekeeper without his bees. I was alone. It was one of the worst experiences I endured on the road. And flashbacks of our travels from coast to coast haunted me then but now are cherished memories of a dog and a girl--an amazing human-animal bond. I left a photo of me, the hippie girl with her dog in Ontario, on the bulletin board at the local animal shelter. Through all the pain and loss, I moved on.
[Excerpt from The Healing Powers of Honey]
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