I was on top of the mountain at a film festival held in a nice luxurious resort. In the hotel, walking through the lobby, I noticed that there was a bowl of candy overturned. "That's odd," I thought, wondering if that meant the festival wasn't going well.
I passed a table of movie producers who were trying to hawk their upcoming productions. They were extremely obnoxious and loud. They waved handfuls of their DVDs at me, "Do you want them? They're right here." I told them I'd think about it.
I decided I needed some air; I really didn't want to see any of the films offered on this day. So I walked around the resort grounds, which were beautifully maintained.
Just past the resort grounds, I met a Golden Retriever. She was very friendly and full of energy. I saw from her nametag that her name was Meghan. "Hello, Meghan," I said, and she perked up, and seemed to want me to follow her. Even though retrievers are enthusiastic about everything, I gathered that this was serious.
So, I followed her down the mountain. This was more difficult than I thought it would be, as we had to cross over creeks and other running water, usually by carefully walking over trees that had fallen and bridged the streams.
Finally, she led me into a small town near the base of the mountain, and into the town's main business, which was a combination grocery/convenience/bookstore shop. I looked over the selection of books, which mostly seemed to be about appreciating the wilderness and what to do if you found yourself in it. The lady who ran the store was very nice and friendly. "Oh, it looks like Meghan has brought another friend in!" I explained that Meghan seemed to feel that there was some urgency in my being here, and the lady looked concerned.
"When was the old man shuttle?" she called to someone I couldn't see. Someone answered from the kitchen, but I couldn't make out what was said.
She turned back to me and looked serious. "Take change from the child's seat." She pointed at something in a nearby trolley car that was wrapped in a plastic blanket. I walked over and picked it up.
Meghan barked and wagged her tail. Her face was a look of appreciation - pure appreciation. I honestly did not know what I had done to earn this expression, but her expression was so pure, my knees gave way and I knelt and started to cry.