Let your LIGHT SHINE People!

Let Your Light SHINE People!
With all the fallout from me helping Doogie, there has been a ton of support, but also a rash of people who are 'against' me sending out hateful e-mails, allegations against me and Dogs Deserve Better, yadda, yadda, yadda.

This has been a great learning experience for me, and I've had to face some of my worst fears because of it. I've learned I will no longer buckle under to ANYONE. I will let my light shine no matter how many people hate that I do...

When I was in 7th grade, one of the most traumatic events of my youth took place on a cool fall day. I realize now that I must have been HAPPY (how dare I!), and feeling good about myself...I wore a dress to school only about 2-3 times a year, and this was one of those days. I was wearing my jean gauchos which were popular then, and my new high-heeled sandals with I think a hot pink top. I felt downright pretty!

Our bus pulled in from the middle school to the elementary school, where we waited for our connecting busses to go home. There was a big crowd of people, and I said to my friend, "looks like there's gonna be a fight".

Little did I know I was the one targeted!

When I got off the bus, someone grabbed my books, and pushed me to the center of the 'ring'. They said, "you're gonna be in a fight". I said "with who?" There stood Elise Klemann (name not changed to NOT protect the uninnocent). She was big, fat and yes, I'll say it, not the prettiest girl in school. But she sure was mean and tough, and hung out with the tough crowd, the druggies, the ones who I now realize had very bad childhoods and had to take it out on the rest of the kids because they were getting it at home.

I had no idea why we were to fight. All I knew was I was in the middle of all these mean kids, and NOT ONE of my friends stood up for me. Even my own brother stayed up on the wall and watched; did nothing to help me. The ring of Elise's supporters would push me and I would stumble and fall into her. She would then grab me by the hair and swing me around. And around...and around. I know I only got ONE good scratch on her, raking my fingernails down her neck and across her chest. This went on for what seemed an interminable amount of time, but was probably in reality only 5-10 minutes.

When my bus came, I told her I'm getting on my bus, and I booked it without looking back. All that night I could pull my hair out in clumps, I had a fat lip, and I was scared to death. I didn't EVER want to go back to school again. I still did not know why I was fighting her that day, although I later found out she said I'd 'called her a slut'. I hadn't.

She put out my light that day.

I was terrified after that to let my light shine, terrified to wear a dress, to feel pretty, terrified to stand out of the crowd for fear of what would happen to me. I didn't want to go to school, I was a big coward and no one I knew would stand up for me. That was a sad realization, that even my own family left me to what felt like a certain demise. My mom switched my bus so I wouldn't get off at the elementary school again, although that didn't work, and I ended up missing the connecting bus. The girls continued to pick on me as they could, and I continued to fear them, avoid them, run from them.

Then one day, my mom and I were in Kmart, and I spotted one of the leaders of the mean crowd. I told my mom, "there's one of those girls", and she asked me where. She calmly went up to her and proceeded to bulldoze her right into a table of blue-light-special clothing! The girl said, 'Hey', and turned around to see my mom just staring at her. She looked from her to me, said, "Oh", walked away, and I never had a speck of trouble with them after that...My mom loves that story, and talks about it to this day, always prefacing it with, "remember when...".

I for one have always hated that story, with the exception of the ending, of course. This story makes me feel less than, scared, cowardly, and ashamed. Ashamed I wasn't stronger, ashamed I let them terrorize me without standing up to them. For many, many years I lived in the shadow of that one middle-school afternoon.

The moment I decided to face my fears and form Dogs Deserve Better to stand against the inhumane treatment of dogs was the moment I decided to let my light shine again. I knew I would have to stand against many, many individuals, and I decided I would face my fears and do so.

The day I rescued Doogie I stood against the ultimate bullies this country holds: authority figures who misuse their position, do not do their jobs, and try to condemn those who stand up for what's right.

But guess what? This light's STILL SHINING! All those who are saying I was wrong, I deserve to go to jail, and I am a 'showboater' are nothing more than the bullies at my school bus stop. These same people probably put on their Sunday finest and spend a couple hours playing churchgoers and lovers of God once a week too.

For the last couple years I've tried to base my big decisions on two pivotal ideals: 1.) any decision that comes from fear is the wrong decision; and, the ever-popular 2.) What Would Jesus Do?

Now, I don't consider myself the most religious woman these days, due to the people I'd meet in most churches (see above), but I do consider myself to be very spiritual, and one of the leaders I most admire in this universe is still Jesus. The purity of love he exemplifies is gold standard, and his disregard for those who considered themselves above him (the Pharisees) sets an enduring example; a life to follow.

So, the question for Doogie's Day had to be, What Would Jesus Do if he were me? I believe if you have two brain cells to rub together, you can readily come up with the answer to this question..Jesus would have walked over, picked Doogie up with thoughts only of the life ebbing away before him, and healed him on the spot. He would also continue to protect him from his abusers. Now, given that I'm NOT Jesus and don't have his unique abilities, I did the next best thing..I got Doogie the vet help he needed, and I protected him from his abusers.

If you don't like that, so be it. You will not put out my light again. Even if you put me in jail for the rest of my life as you've done to some wonderful leaders, I will not allow it to be put out. If you feel you have to kill me or take everything I have, whatever. I will not return to 7th grade shame, and I say to all other animal, human, and environmental advocates out there, LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE!

If you want to die knowing you made a difference, LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE! And know that if those who are attacking you were doing the same, they would have no time to attack you...and no desire. Tammy