Vger crosses the finish line

Today's walk finished the 50 mile challenge for the Trevor Project. I took Vger for today's walk because he needed it more than anyone today. We only needed 2.67 miles to finish and that's all we did. I was a tenth of a mile short when we got back to the van so we made a loop around the parking lot to get the last bit in. I walked Vger using just a single leash attached to a harness and Vger pulled like he was a sled dog rather than a Doberman. It was good exercise for both of us, but next time I'll use the harness he came with and use the front leash attachment point instead. 

Actually it reminded me a lot of when I first started hiking with Sparky and referred to him as my personal trainer. Sparky set a challenging pace but he was a bit more considerate of my less than peak condition. Vger's attitude was that if I couldn't keep up, he was going to help me by pulling me along. 

He's a pleasure to walk with, but next time I will use a different harness to make it easier on myself. 

This completed my goal for Trevor Project and I'm very glad I did it. It motivated me to walk, and we raised nearly $2,500. I've been reading many of the Facebook posts from other individuals who explained their personal reasons for walking. My own difficulties, which were probably mostly of my own making, paled in comparison to what many LGBTQ+ people go through growing up outside the hetero/cis gender "norm." It made me realize how lucky I was, particularly with the family that I was born into. 

I want to say thank you to everyone who supported me in this endeavor in any way. The donations are greatly appreciated, of course, but the "likes" and words of encouragement mean a lot to me as well. Fundraisers like this serve a dual purpose - raising money for the program, and also raising awareness.

I just visited the actual website for the Trevor Project and was smacked in the face by a stark reminder of the need for such an organization. The first thing that appears when the page loads is a pop up notice advising that hitting the escape key three times fast will make the page disappear. That's for kids who log on looking for life-saving assistance who have reason to be afraid if their parents walked in and saw what was on their computer screen. 

Let that sink in for a minute. 

The fact that something like that is necessary makes me sick, but it also makes me mad as hell. I tried it, and sure enough, it takes you an innocuous website with nothing but pretty colors, and the back button is disabled too. I'm sure that feature alone has saved a lot of kids a lot of suffering, and probably many lives. 

Vger, in the van after helping me make it to the 50 mile mark.

He was really wanting to go, but he will sit and wait if I ask him to do so.

He humored me by posing on the rocks.

He has a majestic look about him.

I love his stance. His back legs are spread wider than the front and they are rock solid.