This is Deputy Digby Pancake. Here in the South, whenever someone walks by you, they usually say “how are you?” You say “fine”. And you both keep on walking. You probably weren’t fine though. Or maybe you were fabulously great. But everyone just says fine no matter what. Not sure why they can’t just say hello.

So how rare is it when someone asks you how you are and they really want to know? Pretty rare. But it makes you feel special. I like feeling special. Probably everyone does. Even the bugs.

You see, as we were hiking yesterday, a lady was walking up to start with her furkids. She looked at Girl Person and said, “How are the bugs?”

Girl Person told her they weren’t too bad. Not too bad at all. Well, I wanted to tell her that they were in a pretty boring mood. They weren’t chasing us as much as usual and therefore, Sheriff Brickle wasn’t trying to eat them. As much. But no one asked my opinion on how the bugs were. They might as well have said “fine.”

Girl Person told me later that the other person really didn’t want to know how the bugs were emotionally. She just wanted to know how many there were. Well. If persons actually said what they meant, maybe the world would be an easier place to live and love.

If we ask someone how they are, be ready to listen. Show by your concern, even in passing, that you can listen for a few minutes. Sometimes, one word can mean the difference in a whole day.

Here’s the deal. I’m unique. You’re unique. That person you pass by on the street, well, they are unique. The animals are unique and certainly the bugs are individually unique.

So when you ask someone how they are, mean it and recognize it. You don’t have to solve everyone’s problems. But you can lend a listening ear. You might hear some buzzing from the bugs, though.

–Deputy Digby Pancake

This is Digby Pancake. Since the persons donated their bikes to a local bike shop to fix up for the homeless shelter, they looked for bikes that would help them too. Girl Person said that in between work and animal rescue, she needs a time to clear her mind and get her heart pumping! If she doesn’t take care of herself and her health, she can’t help anyone else, and she definitely can’t make me pancakes. I really like her new bike.

It has fat tires and a pretty paint job and she says it rides as smooth on the beach as a melted slab of butter. If there was ever a bike that I liked, it would have to be the fat tire bike called the Argus Comp from Mongoose! You can find it at www.mongoose.com or click here and tell them Digby Pancake sent you.

See Brickle’s pick for his favorite bike tomorrow and catch a special blog on our project for the homeless on the blog this Saturday!!

#sponsored by Mongoose