Three weeks ago, I wrote the following in "Mindful Moment":

"We all can - whether we are a massage therapist, realtor, office worker, accountant, retail employee, or truck driver we can all make a difference each and every day.

The secret is that we need to remain mindful of our thoughts, words and actions on a daily basis, for that is how we all make a difference!"

It seems that I should have added "dog" to that list!

Thu Jun 24, 2004

TORONTO (Reuters) - A man, driving a car packed with weapons and ammunition, was intent on killing as many people as possible in a Toronto neighborhood but gave up the plan at the last minute when he encountered a friendly dog, police said on Thursday.

The middle-aged man, who police said was mentally disturbed, had planned to carry out the shooting spree on Wednesday to ensure he would be put in jail permanently, Toronto police said.

He had set himself up in an east-end park to load his weapons and then planned to drive around shooting. He later told police that a dog then approached and started playing with him.

The encounter melted the man's heart, and he then went in search of police to give himself up, police said.

"He happens to be a pet lover, and decided that since there was such a nice dog in the area, that people were too nice and he wasn't going to carry out his plan," Detective Nick Ashley told reporters.

Police found 6,000 rounds of ammunition, two rifles, a shotgun, a semi-automatic pistol, a revolver and an air rifle in the man's car, along with a machete and a hunting knife. The car also contained a throwing knife, a camouflage mask and netting.

For me this story dramatically illustrates the incredible value that a simple word or gesture can have. As well it underlines the importance of timing.

How many people will you affect this week?

By the way, no one knows the identity of the dog, but I have a sneaking suspicion as to where it came from!

ENJOY NOW!

Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.

Copyright (c) 2003-2004, all rights reserved.
National Library of Canada ISSN 1708-0606

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