VJ, Richard, Rusty, Yamir & Rody. Then Rusty became gravely ill and was
diagnosed with Aspergillosis. This, coupled with the fact that both men realized their dogs were getting older, convinced them they should meet. They owed it to the canine brothers, and planned a small party for the dogs’ 11th birthday at Gonzmart’s Tampa restaurant, Ulele. VJ, Yamir and Rody arrived. Gonzmart
brought Rusty and nine-year-old Rex, another of his German Shepherd Dogs. The two brothers immediately recognized one another and warmly greeted each other. Rex, on the other hand, wanted nothing to do with the reunion and seemed to harrumph in dis- gust after being told to behave himself. While
Ayrton Senna. “Every March 21st, I am reminded of their birthdays, and have always called or emailed Richard with a birthday
A special birthday cake was created by Ulele pastry chef, Skyler.
wish,” said Yamir. He sees three parallels between the late Ayrton Senna and Richard Gonzmart, aside from sharing a birthday. “First,” he said, “They are both highly
spiritual, coming from the Roman Catholic faith. Second, they value family, morals, and
the humans shared stories of the dogs, and memories of loved ones no longer with them, Rusty and Rody seemed to be enjoying each other’s company. “Sometimes, family reunions don’t go
well,” remarked Gonzmart. “But celebrating the birthday of Rusty and Rody was a lot of fun. They had a youthful sort of day, playing with each other like I have not seen Rusty play in years. Life is good, especially when I see Rusty, the miracle dog, happy and playful with his brother.” There is one other fond connection
Yamir has with Richard. The restaurateur, businessman and philanthropist shares a birth- day with Yamir’s favorite racecar driver, the late
high virtues stemming from their Latin American culture. Finally, they are both highly philanthropic, giving back to society and advancing their fellow men, women, and children around them.” The following is a quote by Senna that
Yamir said reminds him of Richard: Wealthy men can’t live on an island that
is encircled by poverty. We all breathe the same air. We must give a chance to everyone, at least a basic chance. Yamir added, “It would be an honor for
me to even become half the men these two individuals are. Rody serves as a reminder in my everyday life to aspire to become like them.”
48 THE NEW BARKER U
Formula One racecar driver Ayrton Senna, loved to practice racing in the rain. The book by Garth Stein, Racing in the Rain, is about a dog and his owner, who is a race car driver. "That which we manifest is before
us; we are the creators of our own des- tiny," says one of the characters in the book, as he describes the approach a driver must take when racing in the wet. He is referring to the notion that the driv- er who excels in the rain is one who doesn't drive in fear of it. Most drivers will drive apprehensively, afraid of losing con- trol of the car. But the driver who excels in the rain does the opposite. He creates his own destiny by initiating the loss of control, rather than constantly fighting the car trying to be in control of it. By proac- tively triggering the car to slide around, the car's behavior then becomes pre- dictable and manageable. Always trying to fight what the car naturally wants to do in the wet, makes it unpredictable, unwieldy, and likely to snap on you; the difference between driving from your head and driving from your heart. Senna was the epitome of a man who drove from his heart. “If you live with your dog in fear of
his energy, always fighting him, trying to keep him in check and under control, then you can never manifest the out- come you desire. But, if you can initiate the loss of control, letting your dog express his energy and embrace his nat- ural nature, then his behavior becomes predictable. You have to lose control to be in control. Such are dogs and such is life.” ––Sang Koh, a dog trainer living in Washington state, and fan of the book, Racing in the Rain.
www.TheNewBarker.com
Photograph by Anna Cooke
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