D-O-G is His Co-Pilot

Back when I was a sophomore in college my car broke down right at the toll of the George Washington Bridge to NYC on the Wednesday of Thanksgiving. I was giving a friend a ride home and she was nervous on a good day, but a car breaking down on the Jersey side of the bridge seemed like certain death to her.

As my bright yellow sirocco coasted into the tiny strip of pavement between the cement barriers and the fast traffic lane on the left I was just trying to keep my friend calm, but had no plan about what to do. I looked in my rearview mirror and saw a big late model Cadillac Sedan de Ville pull up right behind me with an older gentleman behind the wheel. My friend said something like, “the headlines are going read two coeds killed on GW Bridge.”

As I looked back in my rear view mirror at the car behind me I noticed a license plate that read, ”DOG is my Co-pilot.” Of course it was backwards in my mirror and I knew it really said GOD. I told my friend everything is going to be OK and I got out of the car to speak to the man who was already approaching my car with some tools in his hand.

I have no recollection of what he did under the hood of my tiny car, but whatever it was it got us started and running smoothly all the way back to Connecticut. My friend was much less nervous since she felt that God was watching over us and had provided that man just for us. I never told her that I at first had read the plate as DOG and that thinking he was a dog person made him OK in my book.

Tonight I had to follow Russ in his Smart car to the dealer so it could get its regular service. Shay got to ride with Russ, as is her first choice. Stopped at a light I could see Shay hang her head out the window and I thought that DOG was Russ’ co-pilot. There is a reason the God spelled backwards is Dog. I did not worry a moment that we would not get Russ’ car to the dealer, because in my book Dog, or God they are one in the same.