People Will Help You

Two things happened to me today. First, I met Lars Leafblad (AKA “Legendary Lars”)at a lunch and learn. It was amazing. Then my dog escaped through a fence at a dog park. (Spoiler alert: she’s fine.)

Emotionally, these two experiences were miles apart. Thematically, they connect.

The lunch and learn, hosted by the Minnesota chapter of the International Association of Business Communicators, was enriching and soul filling. I left on a high, having heard from Lars about how to “reinvigorate your career,” and having met other people who are sorting out what they want to do when they grow up. There were freelancers like me, and pros in agencies, corporations, non-profits and public service, all curious about what advice a top recruiter was going to offer, and all getting energy from his humor and honest recounting of his own personal and professional journey. He gave a lot of practical tips, but the overriding theme was, “People will help you. Trust them, ask for help, and be sure to help other people whenever you can.”

The dog park experience was harrowing. After lunch, I took Taylor to the High Bridge Dog Park, near downtown St. Paul. She loves to run and chase, and she doesn’t get much chance in our urban back yard. This time she ignored the other dogs and hugged the fenceline. Before I knew it, she found a weak spot, burrowed under the fence and was loose in the woods under the bridge. I climbed the fence and started looking for her. I was relieved to discover that there was a secondary perimeter fence, but I was panicked about not being able to see her.

Other people climbed the fence and were calling for her. I heard people calling to me from high above, on the bridge. At first, I thought they were mocking me, because their instructions made no sense. Then they asked if I were looking for a man. (I really thought they were mocking me then.) It turns out they were confused. When I said I was looking for a dog, their instructions were much more helpful. Finally, after 20 minutes, I could see her. But she didn’t want to stop. She ran back and forth between me and the far fenceline, with people from above telling me where she was, and people from inside the dog park maintaining a visual.

Then she broke out of the perimeter fence and was lose in the city. A man in a blue t-shirt chased her while I climbed over the fence. His girlfriend in a blue Bemidji t-shirt told me where to go, and I got in my car. A woman in a white car trailed the dog and blue shirt man. They lost sight of her at the Science Museum, but it was such a help to have their support up to that point. Everyone said, “wow, she’s fast.”

I called Animal Control. I called the Parks Department. I called my husband. I called to Taylor. I drove around a bit, but at that point it seemed utterly out of my control. So I sat still for a few minutes. Then, Mike from Animal Control called. About an hour into the ordeal, someone had snagged her along the river. Mike gave them my address and told me to meet them at home.

It turned out she had raced past this couple on a walking trail near the river. The man tried to stop her, but she wouldn’t have it. Then, she stopped, turned around, and came right to him. Just like that, she declared her joyride over. When she saw me, she walked right to me, like she was ready to be home.

Emotionally, as I said, these experiences were dramatically different. In terms of lessons learned, though, they line right up: “People will help you. Trust them, ask for help, and be sure to help other people whenever you can.”

I’m in my own business now. There as so many things I can’t control. But just three months in, I have seen that people will help me – in life and in business – and I’m absolutely living my best life when I’m letting them help me and doing all I can to help others in return.

So, how can I support you?

Taylor, sleeping off her joyride.