Chip has always been a roadie. From the time that he was a puppy, he traveled with me to gigs, sometimes even getting to come in the venue! (I have a really cute photo of him sitting on a bar stool for another time...)
This past year has been no exception - especially when Bryan has been traveling. It's Chip and Kristen off to the next show.
The other day I was singing at Salisbury Central School in Connecticut, and brought Chip along for the day. He kept me company on the early morning drive, we arrived early to take a walk, and then I set him up with food and water and left him in the car. (Don't worry - it was a cool day and the windows were down!)
During breaks I went to check on him, let him out to play, and on one of my final Just Be Nice presentations of the day, during the questions portion, a student named Elijah asked me if I had any pets. (He wants to be a veterinarian when he grows up.) I told him about Chip (as well as my frog, George) and mentioned that Chip was out in the car.
At the end of the presentation, Elijah came up to me to see if Chip was going to be ok in the car. I told him he was fine, Chip likes the car (he just naps) and that the windows were down and it was a nice cool day.
Elijah then presented me with a brightly colored ball and said, 'I had this in my lunch box, but I'd like to give it to Chip so that he has something to play with.'
We had just been talking about kindness. We had just been talking about taking care of other people, other animals and the planet.
And here - a middle school kid - the kids that get a bad rep for being too self-involved, too apathetic, this kid wanted to look out for my dog. A dog he had never even met.
I promised Elijah that I'd post photos of Chip with his new ball - so here you have them!
Thanks for your kindness, Elijah.
Acting like an angel who would never destroy a ball...
Destroying the ball...