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"Often, I'm terribly late to work because I'm trying to lure a dog into my Mini Cooper, and my boss knows exactly where I've been when I finally stroll in ... ([doing] unsafe and chronically impulsive things with dog food on a daily basis)." Jennifer Tyson, art director, PINK |
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Art Director's Blog WHY I'M LATE FOR WORK I'm a working mom with a husband who travels a lot, so I'm smart enough to get up earlier than God to prepare for Monday morning. I shower and dress and pump myself full of dark coffee, knowing full well that these are the things that get kicked to the curb when all morning hell breaks loose. Sack lunches, tiny tennis shoes and toothbrushes fly everywhere as I run the Morning Mother Marathon. And if all goes well, I hear the beautiful thunk of that last car door closing, which means we have made it through Phase One. Phase Two: My commute into work is fairly normal. I smooch my boys goodbye as I do my time in the infamous carpool lane, and then I'm free to hit the highway. As anyone who's spent time in Atlanta knows, traffic is not all butterflies and kittens. I rot in traffic along with everyone else while punching the buttons on my car radio, hoping to find a station that plays music that does not nauseate me. But before I arrive at PINK's sparkling office in downtownAtlanta, I make one last stop. I park on the street and walk 50 feet to the railroad tracks on the very wrong side of town. This is what I imagine the nicer parts ofBaghdadto look like. I kick my way through empty beer bottles and dirty baby doll heads. I push past rusty shopping carts full of urine-soaked blankets, then empty my arms of the three giant Ziplock bags of dog food and jugs of water. For three years now, I've been feeding stray dogs on my way to work. I don't know why I do it. Most of the time I feel like I'm just enabling these nonspayed, non-neutered dogs to go make more babies. If I didn't feed them, maybe they'd just die. I could call animal control but, in the end, the quality of life on the street offers more than an inevitable shot of euthanasia at a shelter. There are just simply not enough homes. Sometimes I'm able to take one of these dogs in, and my sweet and tolerant husband and I have managed to catch 15 and find amazing homes for 10 of them. But for every one we take in, three more inevitably appear the next day. Often, I'm terribly late to work because I'm trying to lure a dog into my Mini Cooper, and my boss knows exactly where I've been when I finally stroll in. One look at the dirt on my shoes and pants and she's reminded that she probably should've done a more thorough background check on her final art director candidate (because the one she hired does unsafe and chronically impulsive things with dog food on a daily basis). It's a sad thing for me, of course. I love dogs. But I also love cats and cows and fish and pigs and mice and trees and my children. It's trite to label me an "animal lover" or a "bleeding heart." Every day I hear this famous quote from Albert Schweitzer in my head: "Think occasionally of the suffering of which you spare yourself the sight." I just want to help anything that is capable of suffering and has an interest in leading its own life. Shouldn't everybody do this? Why doesn't everybody do this? This is how I'm wired, and I have no business changing it. There are worse things to do than care for the least-cared-for. The worst thing in the world would be to not care at all. Jennifer Tyson is PINK's art director. To comment on this blog, e-mail blog@pinkmagazine.com and enter "Jennifer" in the subject line. COMMENTS I really loved your blog. I'm another one of those indescribable anim__l lov_rs, so I can relate (in fact, two of my three four-legged children are ones I rescued). I'm looking forward to receiving my first issue of Pink in the mail any day now, so I'll look forward to seeing the fruits of your labor once you climb out of your mini. Meanwhile, in my spare time, I'm a painter and focus solely on animals. My site is new, and I'd love your feedback—www.sallymoren.com. Look forward to hearing from you. Best, This was such a heart warming story to me. I think it is a righteous thing to to take care of those dogs, and such a rewarding experience it must be! Keep up the good work! Were rootin for you up here! Thanks Jennifer, for showing all of us that no matter how busy or overwhelmed we may feel, there is *always* time and purpose for being an empathetic and productive person.
Your daily routine demonstrates compassion and respect for all - not just the "cute & fuzzy " ones, but the strays, hens , roosters, cows, pigs , turkeys, etc. You are truly empowering and inspiring. Thank You.
Michele
I knew there was a reason why PINK Magazine is so compelling – your Art Director is brilliant AND compassionate. Keep up the good work, Jennifer. I have only met you once, but think every time I read what you write, how somehow, you are my soul sister. I am thankful every day for that one hot day last summer, when we strolled through the fields at the Sanctuary, and cried over the plight we try so hard to make others see.
In a world where most only think about themselves (what I have dubbed four-wall syndrome - what doesn't directly impact my existence and interfere with my happiness, is not important nor worth my time) I am grateful for you, Jennifer, for your insight and compassion and caring about the truly down trodden. Bless you for stopping for the dogs who have most likely seen nothing but human indifference.
Let's keep trying to change the world together - we can and are making a difference!
Amanda
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