Live Like a Guide Dog: A Plan for Turning Fear Into CourageSample

Day 6: Trust and Teamwork

Reflection:

September 11, 2001, began as just an ordinary workday. I commuted into Manhattan from New Jersey with my newest guide dog, Roselle. I went to my office on the 78th floor of Tower One in the World Trade Center. Very quickly, that Tuesday morning became anything but ordinary.

I tell the story of what happened in my book Thunder Dog, and I recount it in my book Live like a Guide Dog. Here’s a snippet of an encounter Roselle and I had that day as we were evacuating Tower One.

As we descended, the smell of jet fuel grew sometimes stronger and sometimes it lessened. I worried about Roselle—a dog’s nose is far more sensitive than a person’s. I worried she would be overwhelmed by it. In fact, she never panicked, showed fear, or displayed weakness as we descended the stairs. But the people around her sometimes did.

“I can’t breathe,” a woman in the slow-moving line of people had stopped on the stairwell just as we reached, I think, the 68th floor. “I don’t think we’re going to make it out of here.”

Several of us gathered around the woman, offering encouragement and reassurance. “It’s going to be okay,” I said. “You can do it,” someone else said.

In a way, all the lessons I’d learned from my dogs, and all the things I’d learned about being brave, came together on that day. I imagined Linnie, with her empathy and connection, and how she would have reacted to someone who was panicking. I was prepared for an emergency because I had memorized the way out of the Tower.

Roselle and I were right below the woman, and I turned to talk with her. “One step at a time,” I said. Roselle, glad for the chance to rest, nudged the woman’s hand. Pet me, please. Roselle’s greetings are not exactly subtle. The woman stroked Roselle’s velvety ears and Roselle wagged her tail in appreciation.

“This is Roselle, and she’s going to guide us down the stairs,” I said. Roselle panted happily. The woman took a deep breath and laughed shakily.

“Okay,” she said. “Thank you.” Roselle touched her nose to the woman’s hand, as if to offer reassurance, and we resumed our steady march down the staircase.

Was I afraid on 9/11? Of course. But trust and teamwork helped me (and the people around us) to move forward, to continue down the stairs, and out of the building.

We can trust in God even when we don’t understand what’s happening. We really can’t control our circumstances, but we can choose to believe that God is always present. He’s on our team; He will guide us. We can trust Him—and that gives us courage.

God, thank yYou for the promise of Your presence. Thank You for the gift of others who can walk through life with me. You’re always with me, and I can trust You no matter what I go through.