Trigger, a baby goat…
greeted me as I walked in the door of the barber/ beauty shop.
“Don’t bother the customer, Trigger”, Helen said, while completing a lady’s blow-dry.
As soon as I sat down, Trigger started butting my leg.
“Where did you get this critter, Helen?”
“Well, his mother had four of them, but only nursed two at a time. Trigger and his sister were not able to get enough milk to make it. We lost his sister and I got to Trigger just in time to rescue him”, Helen responded. “With me feeding him by bottle every couple of hours, it looks like he is going to survive.”
I picked Trigger up and started holding him.
“You want a goat, Jerry? I got three available”, Helen said.
“I can’t imagine what Laura might say if I walked in the door with a pet goat. But I don’t think it would be that positive”.
My mind raced to a GI who picked up a stray puppy in Afghanistan and brought him back to base. Despite misgivings, the commander could see how the critter helped improve morale and gave a reluctant “OK” for the soldiers to keep him. Over time, the dog became the pet of the entire unit and did wonders to perk up the morale of young soldiers. The little guy reminded them of home, and diverted their minds from the horrors of war, if only temporarily.
Then one day, the dog, traveling on patrol, was killed in a battle skirmish. There is no way to describe how this incident affected morale. Grown men were crying in the combat zone as if one of their best and closest friends had been lost.
In a measure of reflection, that is exactly what happened.
This story will appear in one of my future books.
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Above: Jerry nuzzles Trigger the goat.