Transcripts
Welcome back to Animal Posse.
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:Today we are gonna celebrate
the animals who change our
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:lives in ways we never expect.
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:Today's guest has a story that sits
right at the heart of what that is
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:all about, the kind of story where
a single dog doesn't just change a
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:life, but it redirects it entirely.
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:I'm joined by author A.J.
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:Symon whose debut novel, Golden Boy, was
born from the bond he shared with his very
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:first service dog, a dog who entered his
life after he was diagnosed with a seizure
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:disorder and who became his partner,
his protector, and ultimately his muse
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:Hi, AJ.
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:Thank you for coming on the show.
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:AJ: Oh, of course.
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:Thank you for having me.
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:I'm grateful to be here.
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:Dixie: Sure.
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:So today we're gonna be talking
about a dog who inspired you to
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:write your first novel, Golden Boy.
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:So- Yes … let's start at the beginning.
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:For listeners who may not know
your story, can you take us back
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:to the moment that you received
your first service dog and what was
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:happening in your life at that time?
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:AJ: Oh at that point, I
actually, I was out of it.
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:I had a seizure disorder.
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:So I honestly, at the point
that it actually happened,
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:I was completely unaware.
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:But after, I was seen by the doctor and
given meds and everything, they said,
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:it would be helpful to have a dog who
could be there to stay with me if if I
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:have a, a seizure or if, and they can
even the dog that I had actually could
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:kinda sense before and would get a little
anxious so I would know to lie down
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:Dixie: Wow, that's amazing.
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:AJ: Yeah, no he was incredible.
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:Dixie: Before that, did you
have any pets in your life?
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:AJ: Oh yeah, I've had dogs my entire life.
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:In my entire life I've had since
I was, I don't know, three or so.
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:Actually, when I was
born, my parents had dogs.
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:We had two collies
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:Dixie: What was your service dog's name?
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:AJ: His name was Chip, and he was awesome.
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:He was so sweet
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:Dixie: Tell us about Chip.
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:What did he bring into your world
emotionally, practically, spiritually
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:as you learned to, get along
with a service dog in your life?
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:AJ: He was…
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:there was no real there was no
learning curve on his part for sure.
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:He was just, he just fit in perfectly.
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:I not sure if there are actually words
to describe what the relationship
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:is like, but there was just like an
instant bond with him for some reason.
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:He would like-- I, I never
really even had to talk to him.
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:He would anticipate when I was about
to go somewhere, like he'd know.
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:He would have his leash before
I even said, "Hey, let's go."
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:He was that in tune with me.
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:And I also could read him pretty well.
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:I could tell when for the most part
when, if something was wrong, I knew
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:when to take him to the vet or if
he was feeling down or something.
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:I could kinda read him but, I think
that's common among people who have pets.
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:You…
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:It's one of those few re-relationships
where there are no words, but you
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:communicate, and I have no idea how
that happens, you know, but it's there.
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:I'm sure you probably know what I'm
talking about as a animal lover yourself.
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:Dixie: Yeah, absolutely.
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:Like a prime example that I can give
for that, whenever it's time for
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:the cats to go to the vet, I don't
even have to take the carrier out.
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:They're hiding before I
can go get the carrier.
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:So it's like they know that they're
going to the vet before I'm even
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:getting the carrier out and getting
ready to take them to the vet.
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:And I think sometimes too, like
I know I talk to my animals.
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:Do you talk to your animals as well?
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:AJ: Oh, yeah, all the time.
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:Dixie: Yeah.
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:It's like sometimes you almost have a
conversation with them, and you'll answer
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:them, but they didn't ask you anything.
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:Like- … oh, you're hungry.
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:Yeah, I'm coming with the food
right now, so yeah- exactly … I
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:definitely understand where
you're coming from with that.
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:AJ: That's why sometimes it's so hard
to put that kind of a relationship
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:into words because there are no words
between the two people who are involved
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:in it, but everyone, I think, right now
everyone talks about a soul dog, which
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:is what that is, you're a soul cat.
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:People that's I guess the
new phrase that sums it up.
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:But even that to me doesn't
really do it justice.
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:It's just a very intense close bond,
especially, with a service dog,
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:they're with you more than your family
is really, 'cause they're with you
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:24/7 all the time, everywhere you go.
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:And so it's, a constant presence,
like your best friend's there all the
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:time, and you just get into a rhythm,
I think, where words aren't necessary
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:Dixie: And how long was Chip in your life?
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:AJ: 10 years.
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:10 years
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:Dixie: And I think that's the
part so many of our listeners will
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:deeply understand is how you have
that grief when you lose them.
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:So- … when you lose them,
it wasn't just losing a dog.
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:It's like losing a partner who kept you
safe, a constant presence, a lifeline.
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:How did that loss shape you?
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:AJ: Oh my gosh.
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:It was really probably the most
intense grief I've ever felt.
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:And I've lost my dad, and I didn't
have the same reaction, it was
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:just, first of all You know,
having him the routine is broken.
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:There's no routine anymore.
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:And, you look and where he's supposed
to be and he's not there, so that
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:just really, for a couple weeks,
I really couldn't do anything.
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:I was distraught.
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:But eventually, I got out of it,
and I can tell you that story too.
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:But the immediate thing was, first of
all, it was so unexpected because he
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:wasn't-- he didn't really seem sick
until the day we took him to the vet.
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:We took him to the vet on a Wednesday,
and on Thursday he was gone.
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:He had this horrible aggressive
cancer that doesn't really show
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:symptoms until it's too late.
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:And I felt, to be honest, so much
guilt about not seeing it before, and
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:I think a lot of people because our
pets can't talk to us and can't tell us
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:what's wrong, I think a lot of people
feel that kind of the guilt, 'cause
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:you're not, you-you're not as aware.
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:And dogs especially or a golden retriever
is always so happy and they're so stoic,
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:you can't really read that kind of pain
until, I think, until it's too late.
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:Like I said, usually when something was
wrong with him, I knew pretty quickly.
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:Like immediately I'd take him to
the vet and he'd be, they'd give him
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:medicine or whatever and he'd be fine.
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:But this time it's just like I-- There
were, those, those weeks I would kick
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:myself like, "What was I missing?
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:Why did I not see?
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:How could I not know?"
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:Dixie: Yeah, I totally understand that.
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:I went through something very similar.
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:First I'd like to say I'm
sorry for your loss, 'cause I
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:definitely know how hard it is.
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:Oh,
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:AJ: Thank
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:Dixie: you.
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:Yeah, but I went through
something very similar.
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:I know what you're talking about
with the guilt because I had the
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:same thing happen to actually, which
what I would consider my soul cat.
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:We're coming almost on a year now.
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:And, … for me, it's still
difficult to even look at his
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:photos and stuff, I wanted to make
a memorial thing and I still can't
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:even do it, and it's almost a year.
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:AJ: Yeah, no I totally understand that.
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:Dixie: Yeah, but it was basically
the same thing with him.
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:He was like picture of health.
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:And I noticed that he wasn't feeling
well, and it was the same thing.
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:He had an aggressive
heart tumor, actually.
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:So it was two weeks.
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:You know- Oh my gosh … it was so
unexpected because I understand what
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:you mean about like you take them to the
vet when you notice that they're sick.
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:And so this time you took him and it
was too late, but I know exactly what
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:you mean because I kept replaying
the whole scenario in my head, too.
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:Did I miss something?
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:Was there something that
I could have done sooner?
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:And in reality, I'm looking back
and I know now I couldn't have.
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:It's just how it presented.
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:AJ: Yeah.
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:Dixie: But it's still hard.
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:It doesn't make it any easier,
and you still carry that with you
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:AJ: Oh, definitely.
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:Yeah.
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:I-- Even, it's been now not
quite three years, I think,
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:and I still, have those days.
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:I still honestly I still
just kinda cry every day.
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:But, I have worse days where I,
kick myself and I'm like, "No."
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:'Cause that's the other thing with a vet,
you don't-- When you're presented with
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:this, you don't really know what to do.
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:'Cause first of all, you got the emotions.
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:Second of all, it's I've never
heard of what this is before.
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:What am I supposed to do about this?
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:It's like, if I'd had months to research
it, I might have been able to figure out
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:what to do, but you're stuck there in the
moment and you have to make a decision are
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:we gonna, are we gonna treat him for this?
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:Are we gonna send him into surgery?
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:He's an old dog.
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:It, like how is he gonna react?
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:Or should we just, try
and keep him comfortable?
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:Trying to make that kind of a
decision when you're under stress
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:and you don't have the knowledge
of what it is really difficult.
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:And that, is one of those things
that replay in my mind all the time.
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:Oh, did I, did I do some…
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:Should I have made the right decision?
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:Now I know, based on his age, that
he-- there was no way he would've
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:ever made it through surgery.
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:So I opted not to and just to keep
him comfortable, just 'cause, I also,
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:you probably noticed, I couldn't
bear the thought of him dying
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:among strangers if it did happen.
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:And so he did end up, we
were with him when he left.
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:So that is a, the one
comforting thing to me.
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:But it's, that's a really hard
decision to make when, you don't know
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:anything about veterinary medicine.
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:Dixie: Yeah, it definitely is.
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:I totally understand
everything that you're saying.
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:And I think at one point or another,
all animal lovers, when you have a
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:pet, you're kinda in that position too.
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:So I think a lot of people are
gonna understand that grief
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:that you're talking about.
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:Now you did take that grief and you
transformed it into something good.
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:And then- Yes, ma'am
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:that's the book that you wrote in
memory of your dog, "Golden Boy."
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:I would like to talk about-
Yep … that a little bit.
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:AJ: Okay.
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:That is a much happier subject.
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:I'll start with that.
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:That was, It's really, "Golden," "Golden
Boy," it's a story about, friendship and
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:curiosity and seeing the world with fr-
with fresh eyes, and it's a, a comedy.
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:It's a the beloved golden retriever
of this family suddenly becomes human.
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:And a teenage girl who's a loner,
she's kinda a, a nerd and not,
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:doesn't have a lot of friends.
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:Her dog's her only friend.
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:He becomes human and it transforms
her relationships with her family
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:and he really kinda just transforms
the entire town where they live.
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:He h- her dad's the football coach,
and when he sees what an amazing
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:athlete this dog turned human is, he
recruits him for the football team.
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:And so he ends up just kinda changing
the lives of everybody he touches, which
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:is, kinda what golden retrievers do.
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:Dixie: Yeah.
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:I understand that you came up with the
idea for the book from a game of fetch.
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:Can you explain that?
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:AJ: Yeah, I was it was like it
took this, this game, I've had this
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:idea mo- in, in my head for years.
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:This was not Chip that it happened with.
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:But I was playing fetch with
my dog and I was playing fetch.
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:He was playing keep away.
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:I don't know if you know what that's
like, trying to get a ball away from
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:a dog who doesn't want you to get it.
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:And he was- … he was funny.
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:He was just basically teasing me,
playing cat and mouse with me.
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:He would bring the ball to me and
ki- drop it right in front of me,
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:and the second I would try to get
it, he'd snatch it up and run away.
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:You could probably hear him.
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:He was going like,
"Psych," while he ran off.
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:And after about an hour of that,
I was tired, and he was not.
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:But he just kept running around wanting
to play, and I looked at him, and I
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:thought my gosh, if that dog was human, he
would be the world's best running back."
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:And so I just pulled the pa- the
pad out of my pocket and wrote that
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:idea down and thought, "Oh, this is
gonna, this would make a funny story."
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:And so that tells you how long ago it
was 'cause it was before smartphones.
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:Dixie: Oh, wow.
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:You've called the novel a love
letter to all dogs who've we've
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:loved during our lifetime and we
wish could have lived forever.
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:That hits home for a lot of people.
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:So how- … did writing the book
help you transform grief into joy?
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:AJ: I told you how I was feeling,
and at some point in that funk that
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:I felt over Chip, I me- I just got up
and went to my computer and started
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:writing which, you know, 'cause I am a
writer, but mostly I'm a screenwriter.
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:I've never-- I've-- This
is my very first novel.
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:I've never written a book before.
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:But for some reason, I said this story,
and I sat down, and I just thought this
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:is gonna be a book for young readers."
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:This is, th- this seems like that
kind of a story to me, and it just
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:seems like it should be a book.
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:And everything I felt, all those feelings
I felt about Chip and all the grief
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:and the loneliness and that sort of
thing came out in the book and in the
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:voices of the characters in the book.
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:But within that, because it is a fun,
funny premise, all of the lessons
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:that I learned from Chip, like all
of the unconditional love and the joy
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:and all that s- also came through.
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:Yeah, like the grief was coming out, but
it was also helping me remember all the
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:fun and the love that I got from this dog
that I missed and also, all the other dogs
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:I've ever had, really, and I, it just,
like I said, it flew out of me in probably
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:about two months I had a first draft.
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:And when I was reading it I thought, this
is really cheering me up, and I think
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:this could cheer a lot of people up."
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:'Cause it, it's fun and
it's funny, it's relatable.
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:Anybody, who's had a special
connection with a pet would definitely
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:love this and get the story.
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:'Cause, we all kinda feel like our
pets are practically human anyway, so
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:what if it just went one step further?
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:'Cause dogs, and it's not that far off,
dogs and humans share like 90% of our DNA.
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:It, just a couple of tweaks you
can go from dog to human, at least
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:that's the theory in the book
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:Dixie: With this being your debut
novel at 60, what was it like
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:stepping into writing a novel now?
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:AJ: There's a lot more responsibility
to writing a novel than there is
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:to writing a screenplay, first
of all, because a screenwriter,
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:you're lower on the food chain.
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:As a au-author of the book, you're
making all the decisions, so all
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:the creative decisions are yours.
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:So there is that responsibility
to create something.
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:But it is fun 'cause, usually I'm not the
one filling in the details on a movie.
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:The set designer's doing the sets, and
the costumer's doing the costume, and
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:the directors and the actors are doing
all their parts and figuring out how
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:lines are read and that sort of thing.
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:But that is-- When you're a writer,
you put all that in your book.
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:You have to build all those images
and those sounds and everything.
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:You have to recreate all that's
in your head and recreate it
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:in the head of the reader.
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:So it's a fun experience.
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:It's also I think less stressful than
working on a movie 'cause it's not
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:as, Working on a movie or a TV show
or whatever, it's a lot of it is "We
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:needed this yesterday," and, but the
pace of publishing is much slower.
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:They're like if you need a couple
more weeks, you can do it."
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:But I'm s- I'm like, "No
I'm not used to that."
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:I'm used to, you wanted it on the 5th,
I'm gonna give it to you on the 1st.
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:I'm always early.
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:And then, that gave me a lot of
time actually to work on the script,
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:which I'm hoping will either the,
someone will pick up the film
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:rights, so the script will be done.
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:Dixie: Yeah, it sounds like a great story.
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:It really does.
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:When will people be able to get it to
read it, and where can they find it?
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:AJ: Right now you can get it anywhere
you buy books, like amazon.com.
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:You can go on my website, ajsymon.com.
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:It's Symon with a Y.
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:And you can pre-order it, and it'll be
delivered to your door on August 25th
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:when it, which is the publish date.
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:And off, a-after 25th, it'll be
in physical stores everywhere.
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:Dixie: I would also like to bring your
new service dog into the conversation,
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:if we can talk about Bubba for a minute.
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:So I understand- Of
course … I understand that
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:Bubba is connected to Chip.
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:Tell us about Bubba.
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:AJ: Oh, yeah.
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:Bubba is Chip's son actually.
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:And Bubba was supposed to be, take
over for Chip, and he was actually
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:here as a little puppy kind of
shadowing Chip so that, when Chip
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:got to the point where he needed to
retire, Bubba could take over for him.
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:But Chip, passed away quick-
quicker than we expected.
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:So Bubba really had to step up and fill
Chip's, he doesn't really have shoes.
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:Fill his role.
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:So Bubba h- has been
just a real savior to me.
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:He's awesome.
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:He's he's here right now
just keeping an eye on me.
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:Dixie: Yeah, that's amazing,
too, that not only is he Chip's
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:son, but also he was trained…
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:trained by Chip.
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:That's really cute.
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:That's really amazing.
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:AJ: I think, I think they do that just
because, you're They know, what sort of
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:personality characteristics, for service
dogs, they have to have certain things.
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:Like a lot of times German shepherds are
police dogs, and golden retrievers are
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:more service dogs and therapy dogs 'cause,
'cause it's a different temperament.
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:I guess it's easier to control for that.
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:Dixie: I would imagine
Bubba's with you 24/7.
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:He's going everywhere with you.
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:What is it like having him as your
partner on your new creative journey?
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:AJ: Oh, it's fun.
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:I love having him.
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:He's gonna, when I do my book
tour, he'll be with me everywhere,
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:so everyone will get to meet him.
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:He's, I'm sure, gonna be much more
popular than I am with the people.
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:He's he's so sweet.
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:Dixie: May-
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:AJ: He,
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:Dixie: Maybe you can have
him sign, like, paw-tographs.
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:You can sign the books and he
can put his paw print on there.
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:AJ: Get a little ink pad for him.
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:That's a good idea.
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:Dixie: How does he support
you in your daily life?
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:AJ: Same, he does the
same thing that Chip did.
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:He's with me all the time.
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:He is aware of, super aware of my
moods and, how I'm feeling, and
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:he can tell if something is off.
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:He's really good at-- He's a- actually
very sensitive to mood changes and
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:things like that, which is amazing
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:Dixie: Do you find he's on kind of the
same wavelength that Chip was on with you?
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:AJ: Yeah, he is.
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:It's a little different obviously
'cause everyone, everyone is different.
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:All animals are different just
the way all people are different.
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:So he has a slightly different
personality than Chip.
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:I think the, it's gonna sound odd,
but it seems like Bubba is, seeks my
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:approval a lot more, which was, I'm
not sure how to describe it, but Chip
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:was always just, was mellow and stuff.
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:But Bubba, you can tell he's like
looking at me like, "Did I do that right?
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:Am I doing okay?"
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:So I don't know, maybe he
feels the pressure of having
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:to live up to his dad's memory.
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:I hope not, but may- that's the only
thing I can think of that to explain it.
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:Dixie: Yeah, it's amazing how they
all have their unique personalities.
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:I know as animal lovers, we always
see that, and it just amazes me
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:when you hear from people that say
animals don't have personalities.
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:Because it's like- Oh,
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:AJ: they tot-
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:Dixie: Yeah, how can you not
see a personality in an animal?
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:AJ: No they have personalities just
as much as people have personalities.
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:They're all different.
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:Every dog I've ever had
is completely different
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:Dixie: Our listeners are people who have
been shaped by animals, healed by them,
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:guided by them, sometimes saved by them.
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:So what do you hope that they
take away from your story?
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:AJ: Oh, I just, the, I hope that it lifts
people up really because the reason that
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:I wrote it to honor Chip and Hudson and
all those dogs, was they gave me so much
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:and I kinda hope that the love that they
gave me comes through in that book and
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:that, even though they're gone, from
this world, that their spirit continues
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:to kinda lift people up everywhere the
way they lifted me up when they were
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:here with me, it's kinda sharing that
love and paying it forward and I think
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:it comes through in the book for sure.
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:You can definitely feel it in there.
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:Dixie: Do you think Bubba will have a
future role on your writing life now?
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:AJ: He actually got…
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:He a- I actually named one of the
very, very minor characters on
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:the football team after Bubba.
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:One of the big linebackers is named Bubba.
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:So maybe in a sequel he'll
become a bigger role.
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:Dixie: Thank you so much for sharing your
story, your heart, and your dogs with us.
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:"Golden Boy" arrives this August.
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:You said August 25th?
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:And I- Yes, ma'am … I know our listeners
are going to connect with it deeply.
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:I am going to include your links in the
show notes so people know how to find you.
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:And, Okay … yeah thank you so much.
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:It was it was great hearing your story.
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:AJ: Thank you so much.
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:I so appreciate being part of
the program and you inviting me.
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:Thank you.
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:Dixie: Yeah, you're welcome, and I
think this is gonna inspire so many
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:people, and I do think it's gonna
really help people if they read this
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:to, to lift up their spirits and,
just have something fun to read.
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:AJ: Oh, thank you.
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:Thank you.
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:I hope so.
