Longtime member of the Bethesda Chevy Chase Rescue Squad, Robert W. (“Bobby”) Gollan passed away on May 19, 2012. Bobby had 53 years of service with BCCRS and held many positions including that of Deputy Chief and many line officer positions. He also served with distinction as a volunteer with the Cabin John Volunteer Fire Department and Kensington Volunteer Fire Departments. Bobby leaves his son, Bobby Jr., his mother, Evelyn Gollan, and 2 sisters, Barbara and Sandy. Bobby was sent off in style.
(click on the image and it will take you to the rest of the images)
Being a veterinarian, I had been called to examine a ten-year-old Irish Wolfhound named Belker. The dog's owners, Ron, his wife Lisa, and their little boy Shane, were all very attached to Belker, and they were hoping for a miracle.
I examined Belker and found he was dying of cancer. I told the family we couldn't do anything for Belker, and offered to perform the euthanasia procedure for the old dog in their home.
As we made arrangements, Ron and Lisa told me they thought it would be good for six-year-old Shane to observe the procedure. They felt as though Shane might learn something from the experience.
The next day, I felt the familiar catch in my throat as Belker 's family surrounded him. Shane seemed so calm, petting the old dog for the last time, that I wondered if he understood what was going on. Within a few minutes, Belker slipped peacefully away.
The little boy seemed to accept Belker's transition without any difficulty or confusion. We sat together for a while after Belker's Death, wondering aloud about the sad fact that animal lives are shorter than human lives.
Shane, who had been listening quietly, piped up, ''I know why.''
Startled, we all turned to him. What came out of his mouth next stunned me. I'd never heard a more comforting explanation. It has changed the way I try and live.
He said,''People are born so that they can learn how to live a good life -- like loving everybody all the time and being nice, right?'' The Six-year-old continued,
''Well, dogs already know how to do that, so they don't have to stay as long.''
It goes on to say:
Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly.
Remember, if a dog was the teacher you would learn things like: When loved ones come home, always run to greet them. Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joyride. Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure Ecstasy. Take naps. Stretch before rising. Run, romp, and play daily. Thrive on attention and let people touch you. Avoid biting when a simple growl will do. On warm days, stop to lie on your back on the grass. On hot days, drink lots of water and lie under a shady tree. When you're happy, dance around and wag your entire body. Delight in the simple joy of a long walk. Be loyal. Never pretend to be something you're not. If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it. When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by, and nuzzle them gently.
The following are some of the images I took at last year's MAWMR event. MAWMR is the Mid-Atlantic Women's Motorcycle Rally and it was held in Gettysburg, PA. This is an annual gathering of women motorcycle enthusiasts and riders who get together to raise money for cancer.
Please come join us for the 20th annual gathering of MAWMR this June (2012). It promises to be a blast.
Having just lost my heart, Mazlon, I found this poem a beautiful description of what happens at The Rainbow Bridge. I can only pray that this is true.
THE AWAKENING By Kathleene S. Baker
Shiloh awoke ever so rested. She stood, stretched, and the lush meadow of clover beneath her paws felt velvety. She did not understand. Nor did she grasp the beauty all around her -- she'd been sightless for five years, although images did return in dreams. She'd often awake saddened, yet never gave up hope that her vision would return.
Woofs, yaps, song birds, and even unfamiliar sounds echoed in the distance. A babbling brook nearby summoned Shiloh's thirst. She ambled in that direction.
Shortly, overcome with confidence, she picked up the pace, exhibiting a confidence she'd not had in years. She sprinted towards the rivulet. What joy to run again!
Now and then she completed circles at full speed simply for the thrill. Shiloh's vision had returned! Her reflection in the sparkling water was proof! Lapping the cool water, she viewed beautifully hued fish playing chase several feet below the surface.
Shiloh gazed about for mum and dad. She'd only enjoyed free rein in the backyard and felt uncertain. What if she wandered into danger?
As anxiety escalated, two snow-white doves alit beside her. Finally, something familiar! Trees at home teemed with cooing doves when she meandered about her yard. She'd never understood their calls but now she did. They beckoned her to follow.
Looking up as they hovered above her, a rainbow glistened as if each color was configured of precious gemstones. Soon an old-fashioned, arched, stone bridge appeared glinting with gold and silver. The woofs were closer and Shiloh realized the birds crooned Christmas carols!
Only a few paces onto the bridge, Shiloh was astonished -- Josey raced to her side with a shower of kisses. A red ribbon about her neck with tiny Christmas bells attached tinkled with each movement. Momentarily, games of chase and wrestle ensued -- favorites they'd enjoyed before Josey departed her earthly home.
Shiloh instantly understood, this was Rainbow Bridge!
Mum had described it in detail for weeks as her health declined. Josey introduced Shiloh to family members who had come and gone before her. Her folk's first Schnauzer, Festus, greeted Shiloh with a high five! Tiffany, Schnauzer number two, offered kisses. Maggie and Jack, a mum and son duo, approached with wagging tails. Unexpectedly, two tiny Yorkies appeared -- Fang and Fancy! Yorkies, my folks had Yorkies? They greeted her with gestures of love.
Lastly, cousin Greta excitedly arrived. Shioh's angst began to melt in the midst of a loving family. Still, she'd forever miss mum, dad, and her Schnauzer pal Hank. He'd guided her through the darkness and gave her life meaning.
The pack revealed that the Rainbow Bridge was eternally glorious. And Christmas time was breathtaking to behold as they celebrated Christ's Birth -- the creator of domestic pets. He gifted them an inborn ability to develop remarkable bonds with humans.
With holiday preparations underway, Shiloh was in awe. Red birds, Blue birds, and white doves perched in trees -- live ornaments! All sized spiders spun golden webs of garland 'round and 'round the trees and fire flies twinkled in branches. The weather was mild, sunny, and the few clouds shimmered silvery, yet trees were veiled with snow.
For Shiloh, confusion reigned! In unison, the group proclaimed, "All things are possible at the Bridge." Every tree was decorated, none in the same manner. Covered with iridescent snow, a stately scotch pine stood embellished with butterflies, wings aflutter, displaying a magnificent array of colour and creating swirls of snow that enshrouded the tree with luminous motion.
Knowing her mum's love of poinsettias, Shiloh took special note of a huge fir tree filled with vast red blossoms, goldfinch, and thousands of fire flies. All about were gardens of poinsettias.
Tomorrow was Christmas Eve. Shiloh could only imagine what wonder lay ahead. After a hearty warm meal the pack showed her a new fluffy bed adjacent to theirs. It was plush beyond imagination. The family told of how grand golden eagles soar into the skies to select the proper sized cloud for each new arrival.
Shiloh snuggled in.
Once comfortable, an angel approached whispering, "I'm Dana and will always be nearby, Sweet Girl." She gently placed a coverlet, adorned with pink lace, across a now-healthy, restored body and silently vanished.
Shiloh thought to herself, "Dana! She's my aunt and mum's niece. Greta was her puppy. Oh, I am truly safe." She sighed.
Shiloh drifted into sleep while song birds softly sang her mum's favorite Christmas carol, The Littlest Angel. She knew it was meant for her first night at Rainbow Bridge. Mum had always called her a little angel.
Shiloh slept well, stirring only once to roll over.
She dreamt of the day she would sprint to the bridge and joyfully escort mum, dad and beloved Hank to the other side.
Until then she would play, and rest, and romp, and nap, and wait...
On November 21, 2011, I had to say goodbye to a piece of my heart. Mazlon came into my life on Dec 6, 2000. I had planned on doing Search & Rescue with her, but after working the Pentagon on Sept 11, I decided that I couldn't ask my child to do that. It turned out that Mazlon also had bad hips so it is proably a good thing that we never continued with the training. For the past 11 years, Mazlon went just about everywhere with me ... to work, to the squad, to friends houses, on portrait sessions, and helped raise my nephews.
Mazlon LOVED little critters and was constantly bringing me baby squirrels, baby rabbits, baby anything. Not a hair would be harmed on their heads and Mazlon always looked so proud of herself. Soooo ... I would carefully put them in a box and treck out to Second Chance Wildlife Rescue much to the disappointment of Mazlon. She loved her kitties and when Misha died, she went into a severe depression. It wasn't until I brought Leprechaun into the household long before I was ready that Mazlon started eating and playing again. Lep and Maz bonded and I became the incidental feeding machine for Leprechaun. Mazlon was definately the center of his world.
When I opened the door for the final time to carry Mazlon to the car as she could no longer stand or walk, I noticed that the herd of deer that Mazlon loved to chase and would often wait for Mazlon to catch up to them was standing at the edge of the woods in front of my house as if to say goodbye. It was as if God were giving me the final sign that it was time to let her move on to the Rainbow Bridge.
I know Mazlon is waiting at the Rainbow Bridge happily gathering up chipmunks, squirrels, and baby rabbits caring for and making a home for them. It is going to be a painful adjustment for me and my other fur kids. She had a wonderful final weekend in West Virginia where she got to sniff the smells of the past 150 years in Harpers Ferry and wade in the Shenandoah River ... swimming was her favorite sport.
On November 21, 2011, I had to say goodbye to a piece of my heart. This tribute video is a therapy for me and is comprised of a mixture of images I have taken over the past 11 years. Some of the images are of pretty poor quality taken with phone cameras and some of the earliest digital cameras. It is a long video (12 minutes) but since it was done primarily for me, I wasn't concerned about the length.
Mazlon, I miss you. You will always be in my heart. Have a blast at the Rainbow Bridge.
The songs used in this video are:
"All This Joy" by John Denver http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/all-this-joy/id428820994?i=428821025
"Somewhere Over the Rainbow" by Israel Kamakawiwo'ole http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/somewhere-over-the-rainbow/id6920402?i=6920394
Evelyn is Michael's godmother. Essentially she is being punished because she did exactly what she was SUPPOSED TO DO as good healthcare practitioner. I cannot begin to tell you how angry I am that this is happening to her.
This year the fall colours are wonderful and seem to be sticking on the trees longer than normal. I always try to remind myself to take a deep breath and look around me to actually see what is around me.
I did so on my way to a meeting yesterday .... and pulled over to capture the moment.
Taken out the front window as I was driving down the road. Yes, I know I should keep both hands on the wheel ... but at least I wasn't on my motorcycle.
Brighton Dam
The reflections of the leaves were incredible
the golden colour of the sunset added a deep richness to the leaves
With my six year old nephew starting to read, I am always on the lookout for good little tutorials. Since I am a great fan of the TV show "Glee", I was thrilled to find this little gem:
I am honored to be with you today at your commencement from one of the finest universities in the world. I never graduated from college. Truth be told, this is the closest I've ever gotten to a college graduation. Today I want to tell you three stories from my life. That's it. No big deal. Just three stories.
The first story is about connecting the dots.
I dropped out of Reed College after the first 6 months, but then stayed around as a drop-in for another 18 months or so before I really quit. So why did I drop out?
It started before I was born. My biological mother was a young, unwed college graduate student, and she decided to put me up for adoption. She felt very strongly that I should be adopted by college graduates, so everything was all set for me to be adopted at birth by a lawyer and his wife. Except that when I popped out they decided at the last minute that they really wanted a girl. So my parents, who were on a waiting list, got a call in the middle of the night asking: "We have an unexpected baby boy; do you want him?" They said: "Of course." My biological mother later found out that my mother had never graduated from college and that my father had never graduated from high school. She refused to sign the final adoption papers. She only relented a few months later when my parents promised that I would someday go to college.
And 17 years later I did go to college. But I naively chose a college that was almost as expensive as Stanford, and all of my working-class parents' savings were being spent on my college tuition. After six months, I couldn't see the value in it. I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life and no idea how college was going to help me figure it out. And here I was spending all of the money my parents had saved their entire life. So I decided to drop out and trust that it would all work out OK. It was pretty scary at the time, but looking back it was one of the best decisions I ever made. The minute I dropped out I could stop taking the required classes that didn't interest me, and begin dropping in on the ones that looked interesting.
It wasn't all romantic. I didn't have a dorm room, so I slept on the floor in friends' rooms, I returned coke bottles for the 5¢ deposits to buy food with, and I would walk the 7 miles across town every Sunday night to get one good meal a week at the Hare Krishna temple. I loved it. And much of what I stumbled into by following my curiosity and intuition turned out to be priceless later on. Let me give you one example:
Reed College at that time offered perhaps the best calligraphy instruction in the country. Throughout the campus every poster, every label on every drawer, was beautifully hand calligraphed. Because I had dropped out and didn't have to take the normal classes, I decided to take a calligraphy class to learn how to do this. I learned about serif and san serif typefaces, about varying the amount of space between different letter combinations, about what makes great typography great. It was beautiful, historical, artistically subtle in a way that science can't capture, and I found it fascinating.
None of this had even a hope of any practical application in my life. But ten years later, when we were designing the first Macintosh computer, it all came back to me. And we designed it all into the Mac. It was the first computer with beautiful typography. If I had never dropped in on that single course in college, the Mac would have never had multiple typefaces or proportionally spaced fonts. And since Windows just copied the Mac, it's likely that no personal computer would have them. If I had never dropped out, I would have never dropped in on this calligraphy class, and personal computers might not have the wonderful typography that they do. Of course it was impossible to connect the dots looking forward when I was in college. But it was very, very clear looking backwards ten years later.
Again, you can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something — your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.
My second story is about love and loss.
I was lucky — I found what I loved to do early in life. Woz and I started Apple in my parents garage when I was 20. We worked hard, and in 10 years Apple had grown from just the two of us in a garage into a $2 billion company with over 4000 employees. We had just released our finest creation — the Macintosh — a year earlier, and I had just turned 30. And then I got fired. How can you get fired from a company you started? Well, as Apple grew we hired someone who I thought was very talented to run the company with me, and for the first year or so things went well. But then our visions of the future began to diverge and eventually we had a falling out. When we did, our Board of Directors sided with him. So at 30 I was out. And very publicly out. What had been the focus of my entire adult life was gone, and it was devastating.
I really didn't know what to do for a few months. I felt that I had let the previous generation of entrepreneurs down - that I had dropped the baton as it was being passed to me. I met with David Packard and Bob Noyce and tried to apologize for screwing up so badly. I was a very public failure, and I even thought about running away from the valley. But something slowly began to dawn on me — I still loved what I did. The turn of events at Apple had not changed that one bit. I had been rejected, but I was still in love. And so I decided to start over.
I didn't see it then, but it turned out that getting fired from Apple was the best thing that could have ever happened to me. The heaviness of being successful was replaced by the lightness of being a beginner again, less sure about everything. It freed me to enter one of the most creative periods of my life.
During the next five years, I started a company named NeXT, another company named Pixar, and fell in love with an amazing woman who would become my wife. Pixar went on to create the worlds first computer animated feature film, Toy Story, and is now the most successful animation studio in the world. In a remarkable turn of events, Apple bought NeXT, I returned to Apple, and the technology we developed at NeXT is at the heart of Apple's current renaissance. And Laurene and I have a wonderful family together.
I'm pretty sure none of this would have happened if I hadn't been fired from Apple. It was awful tasting medicine, but I guess the patient needed it. Sometimes life hits you in the head with a brick. Don't lose faith. I'm convinced that the only thing that kept me going was that I loved what I did. You've got to find what you love. And that is as true for your work as it is for your lovers. Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don't settle.
My third story is about death.
When I was 17, I read a quote that went something like: "If you live each day as if it was your last, someday you'll most certainly be right." It made an impression on me, and since then, for the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: "If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?" And whenever the answer has been "No" for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.
Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything — all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure - these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.
About a year ago I was diagnosed with cancer. I had a scan at 7:30 in the morning, and it clearly showed a tumor on my pancreas. I didn't even know what a pancreas was. The doctors told me this was almost certainly a type of cancer that is incurable, and that I should expect to live no longer than three to six months. My doctor advised me to go home and get my affairs in order, which is doctor's code for prepare to die. It means to try to tell your kids everything you thought you'd have the next 10 years to tell them in just a few months. It means to make sure everything is buttoned up so that it will be as easy as possible for your family. It means to say your goodbyes.
I lived with that diagnosis all day. Later that evening I had a biopsy, where they stuck an endoscope down my throat, through my stomach and into my intestines, put a needle into my pancreas and got a few cells from the tumor. I was sedated, but my wife, who was there, told me that when they viewed the cells under a microscope the doctors started crying because it turned out to be a very rare form of pancreatic cancer that is curable with surgery. I had the surgery and I'm fine now.
This was the closest I've been to facing death, and I hope it's the closest I get for a few more decades. Having lived through it, I can now say this to you with a bit more certainty than when death was a useful but purely intellectual concept:
No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don't want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because Death is very likely the single best invention of Life. It is Life's change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new. Right now the new is you, but someday not too long from now, you will gradually become the old and be cleared away. Sorry to be so dramatic, but it is quite true.
Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.
When I was young, there was an amazing publication called The Whole Earth Catalog, which was one of the bibles of my generation. It was created by a fellow named Stewart Brand not far from here in Menlo Park, and he brought it to life with his poetic touch. This was in the late 1960's, before personal computers and desktop publishing, so it was all made with typewriters, scissors, and Polaroid cameras. It was sort of like Google in paperback form, 35 years before Google came along: it was idealistic, and overflowing with neat tools and great notions.
Stewart and his team put out several issues of The Whole Earth Catalog, and then when it had run its course, they put out a final issue. It was the mid-1970s, and I was your age. On the back cover of their final issue was a photograph of an early morning country road, the kind you might find yourself hitchhiking on if you were so adventurous. Beneath it were the words: "Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish." It was their farewell message as they signed off. Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish. And I have always wished that for myself. And now, as you graduate to begin anew, I wish that for you.
Chances are, if you don't live in DC or near it you won't understand. BE GLAD... For those who plan to visit our area...
First, you must learn to call it by its rightful name. It is DC or 'the District' - only tourists call it Washington.
Next, if your road map of Montgomery County is more than a few weeks old, throw it out and buy a new one. It's obsolete. If in Loudoun or Fairfax County and your map is one day old, it's already obsolete.
There is no such thing as a dangerous high speed chase in D.C. It's just another chase, usually on the BW Parkway.
All directions start with 'The Beltway'... which has no beginning and no end - just one continuous loop that locals believe is somehow clarified by an inner' and 'outer' loop designation. This makes no sense to ANYONE outside the area.
The morning rush hour is from 5 to 11 AM. The evening rush hour is from 1 to 8 PM. Friday's rush hour starts Thursday morning, especially during the summer on Route 50 eastbound.
If there is a ball game at the Redskins stadium, there is no point driving anywhere near PG County. Tip: Never say PG County to anyone from Mitchellville, Upper Marlboro or Fort Washington (its Prince Georges County). They'll blow a vessel in their neck and go into a seizure.
If you actually stop at a yellow light, you will be rear-ended and shot at. If you run the red light, be sure to smile for the $100 'picture' you will receive courtesy of DMV. (However, if you don't go as soon as the light turns green, you will get cussed out in 382 languages.)
Rain causes an immediate 50 point drop of IQ in drivers. Snow causes a 100 point drop in IQ and a rush to the nearest Giant or Safeway for toilet paper and milk.
Construction on I-270 is a way of life and a permanent source of scorn and cynical entertainment. It's ironic that it's called an 'Interstate, ' but runs only from Bethesda to Frederick. (Unless you consider Montgomery County another state, which some do). Opening in the 60's, it has been torn up and under reconstruction ever since. Also, it has a 'Spur' section which is even more confusing.
All unexplained sights are explained by the phrase, 'Oh, we're in Takoma Park'.
If someone actually has their turn signal on, they are by definition a tourist.
Car horns are actually 'Road Rage' indicators. Heed the warning.
All old ladies in Buicks have the right of way in the area of Leisure World.
Many roads mysteriously change their names as you cross intersections. Don't ask why, no one knows. (aka Cherry Hill to Randolph - my aunt swore Randolph Road could take you anywhere)
If asking directions in Arlington, Langley Park, Wheaton or Adams Morgan, Spanish helps. If in Annandale, Cambodian or Vietnamese will come in handy. If on Dupont Circle, Capital Hill or U Street, tolerance for same sex relationships helps.
If you stop to ask directions in Southeast... well, just don't.
A taxi ride across town will cost you $12.50. A taxi ride two blocks will cost you $16.75. (It's a zone thing, you wouldn't understand.)
Traveling south out of DC on Interstate 395/95 is the most dangerous, scariest thing you will ever do.
There is nothing more comforting then seven lanes of traffic cruising along at 85 mph, BUMPER TO BUMPER!!! (Truer words have never been written!)
The minimum acceptable speed on the Beltway is 85. Anything less is considered down right sissy.
The open lane for passing on all Maryland interstates is the far right lane because no self-respecting Marylander would ever be caught driving in the 'slow' lane. Unofficially, both shoulders are fair game also. The far left lanes on all Maryland interstates are official 'chat' lanes reserved for drivers who wish to talk on their cell phones. Note: All SUV's have priority clearance to use the far left at whatever speed the driver feels most comfortable multi-tasking in.
The Beltway is our daily version of a NASCAR reality show. Strap up and collect points as you go!
(I have no idea who wrote this, but it is pretty darn accurate)
