Stories from my childhood: Vicious German Shepherds

(by Michael)

When I was a wee lad growing up in Jeader subdivision in Coffee County, my siblings and I often walked up and down the dirt roads of the neighborhood visiting friends.  There was one family that lived about a mile down the road from us that had two pretty teenage girls.  I was only 5 or 6 years old.  Patty was 15, and Cathy was 17.  I thought Cathy was so pretty because she was tall, slender, and blond.   I thought Patty was pretty, too, but Cathy was the prettiest and sweetest girl I knew of.  One day I was playing with my friend James in their front yard (James lived next door to Patty and Cathy).  My older brothers had already gone home, but I doddled around there a little longer.  When I finally decided to head home, I walked down the road only a couple hundred feet before I had to pass by the German shepherds’ house. 

Now, I had no idea at that age that a German shepherd was a dog.  All I knew is that an older kid on that street named Jimmy told me to be careful around that house because there were two vicious German shepherds that lived there.  I did know what a shepherd was.  I had learned about that in Sunday School.  And I knew what Germans are because I lived in Germany with my family before we moved to Alabama.  So I was very frightened of the “vicious German shepherds” that lived at that house that I had to pass by all by myself.  I slowly and fearfully started walking by the house.  I couldn’t actually see the house because there was a fence around the yard with a thick hedge of trees along the fence, but I could make out where the house was, and I could see if there was anyone outside. 

Well, that day there was someone outside in the yard.  I couldn’t see them well, just where they were standing.  I watched the figure of a man approach the hedge with an object in his hands.  Then he cranked up the weed whacker (that’s what he was holding) and started cutting stuff.  I didn’t know what a weed whacker was at the time.  I thought he had a chainsaw and was coming after me (keep in mind I was only about 6 years old).  I turned around and ran back down the street.  I saw Patty and Cathy in their front yard talking to some neighborhood kids.  I told them I was lost and asked if they could help me get home.  I didn’t want to admit I was scared.  Patty held my hand and walked me home.  I was kind of hoping Cathy would have walked me home instead, but I was still quite happy to walk with Patty.  I never actually saw the German shepherds, but I did later find out what a German shepherd really is, so I wasn’t so scared to walk by there any more since I knew there was a fence around the yard.  It’s interesting how different a child’s perception of things can be.  It's also nice to have someone who will hold your hand when you are scared.

"Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee." (Deuteronomy 31:6)

"For I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee." (Isaiah 41:13)