Ordinary People, Extraordinary Lives

By Giovanny Guzman

You walk around town and see people every day, but most of the time, no one thinks to socialize with a stranger. On a typical summer day, I was walking my dog around Palmer’s Cove Park in Salem and noticed a man walking his dog, as well. I saw this man almost every time I went on my daily walk, so I decided to speak to him. We began speaking about our beloved dogs and, before I knew it, the conversation became one of the most inspirational I’ve ever been a part of. Everyone has a story of their own; this guy’s was a particularly special one. Here’s what he said:

“Three years ago I got my dog as a birthday present from my parents. The first gift they’ve gotten me in a couple of years. He is the reason I decided to turn my life around. I was a major drug addict with no job, a highschool dropout, and no meaning to life. I started using soon after high school and started to get involved with the wrong people. I started to steal money and use all of my friends and family to support my habit. The day finally came when my parents kicked me out. I went homeless for a few years, migrating from shelter to shelter. When I got him [the dog] he helped me to find who I was and the potential I had in life. No one ever believed in me when it came to anything I did. Whether it be my recovery, education, or anything else, it made me feel hopeless and tired of trying anymore. I know some people don’t look at dogs as people, but he has more of a sense of morality than any person I know. That’s why I walk him here every single day, because of that mural. The mural represents how he nurtures me and is helping me make a future for myself. And I know that even though this little guy can’t speak, I have to make him proud because he believes in me. I have to make him proud because if I continued my habits, he probably wouldn’t be here with me. He’d probably be living with someone else after being sold for drug money for myself. I love this dog and I know that when you love something, you’d do anything to keep it by your side. So, I decided to get my GED and go to college right after. I’m two years clean now and I go to North Shore Community College. If it wasn’t for him, none of this would be possible.”