This past summer BMA and the Culture Center sponsored a summer school program on what it is to be from this community. It was called, Yo Soy de Nayarit - I am from Nayarit. A secondary theme evolved: what is it to be a hero/heroine in your everyday life. Well, yesterday's clinic was a manifestation of what happens when everyone brings their particular gifts of heroism to a cause.
After a harrowing night of hurricane-force winds we ventured predawn to open the clinic. Wally was prepared with flashlights and a chainsaw. He had to remove two places in the road blocked by fallen trees. The museum courtyard had a thick covering of mud and there were large limbs covering the cat recovery area. I held the flashlight while he cut. Despite a fever and deep cough, Nena came to help she and brought another BMA friend, Chemo to help. He brought a blower. Kenny carried many buckets of water to move the mud out and we each took a broom. Soon it was light and people began to arrive with animals.
No one complained. When Ana arrived to set up surgery she acted as if it were nothing to start with a floor covered in mud and no running water. By the time Dr. B. arrived it looked like another clinic day in paradise - the sun was up, the sky was blue and the courtyard was cleaner than usual.
Randy, Jani and Ryan came at 9 and set to work with Minerva, spraying chloro and hard-brushing the courtyard which was slick with green slime.
By the time Jenny arrived the first dog was coming into recovery and the sun was drying up the courtyard.
Minerva invited someone she had met on the beach to visit our clinic. Her name is Leslie and she is looking to make Santa Cruz her new home. She stayed for the whole day helping Jenny in recovery. She had zero experience in this kind of work but her willingness to help was over-the-top, truly an angel sent from doggy heaven.
Kenny hauled water all day long in addition to picking up and carrying every animal to and from surgery and to the owner's car.
We had 4 pit bulls, 2 were pregnant - when it rains, it pours pit bulls! At least it seemed that way yesterday.
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| I knew I should have stayed home... |
Can you feel it? Everyone was drawn into a whirling dervish dance. From chaos, evolved a choreography that transformed us into heroes, a community of heroes really! We had every excuse for canceling and going home to take care of our own messes and I don't know why we didn't. But we kept facing one tree-in-the-road at a time and in a few hours we went from SOS to "All is fine and well."
At the end of the day, as the church was ringing the bells for mass and I was locking the gate of the clinic, the last thing I saw as I locked the gate of the clinic was Ana on her motor scooter with a knocked-out pit bull pup in a bag between her feet, Baltazar behind and Kenny in the rear... I was too tired to find my camera for a photo but please try to conjure up that image...it says it all and it will warm your heart and make you grin.
OMG, I love this community! I hope none of you feel abused by yesterday's difficult day... I hope when you got home the refrigerator hadn't defrosted and you could take a shower. I'm humbled by your heart and stamina. You ARE heroes.
Thank you Wally for forging the way in the dark. Thank you, Amaranth for holding the light.
Thank you, Nena for showing up when sick. And Chemo for coming armed with blower.
Thank you, Kenny - you're always our MVP.
Thank you, Ana for never flinching.
And Dr. B - man, 25 surgeries, STOP! - no don't stop!
Thank you, Minerva and Nataly for kitty kare.
Thank you, Jenny and Leslie for hours of up and down, checking and re-checking, keeping the dogs as the center of your attentions.
Thanks Randy, Jani and Ryan - you kept us from falling on our pompis, literally!
Thanks Trilby for funding lunch at Lucy's and Wally for surprising us with pizza!
Thank you, Rosa for 4 new chairs so we could all take a seat and eat together like one, big family.
Now, get some rest!
