Who?
Ryan
Where?
San Francisco, California
What?
"I love what you do! Awesome idea, wonderful execution."
How did he react?
"Ha, thank you! I appreciate that."
How did I feel?/What is the story?
Ryan is one of those people who are beautiful through and through. Meet him and you will feel comfortable immediately, maybe because of his warm smile, his deep, full voice or his calm vibe. Or because you might get to watch him play with his dog Rascal, love pouring from his eyes, or enjoy his readiness to help. I experienced both of the latter ones. Here's how:
Walking my bike down Turk street one day I was looking for a bike pump to fix my flat tire. That's when I passed him standing in front of his house, painting. Indeed, he had a pump- and not just any pump; In fact, the one he gave to me was effective enough to make my tires burst with air and finally explode while riding (SF-)downhill... But that is another story.
As I was pumping my arms off I got a glimpse at his painting. It was, well-... interesting! A huge red-pinkish heart covered all of the canvas. My memory might fool me on that one but I think there was glitter involved, too. Lots of glitter. Definitely not my taste- but who am I to judge?
I asked Ryan:
"Are you an artist?"
"Ha, are you kidding?! This is horrible!"
"Mh, I don't know- I consider it a matter of taste. I thought it might be your way of expressing your feelings for someone you love...?"
"Aw, no. It's for this dog rescue thing I am doing tomorrow."
"Huh! Tell me more!"
"I will be standing at the 16th/Mission BART with two puppies and offering a puppy booth: We will take a pictures of people with the puppies for 2 bucks. The money's gonna go to dog rescue stations. And this", he pointed at his painting, "will serve as a background for the pictures."
"That sounds awesome! How'd you come up with that?"
And that's how Ryan ended up telling me all about his project DogPatchSF: Since 2011 he has been collecting used ropes from climbers, sailors and archaeologists. When picking them up he asks about their story which he notes down later on:
Ryan
Where?
San Francisco, California
What?
"I love what you do! Awesome idea, wonderful execution."
How did he react?
"Ha, thank you! I appreciate that."
How did I feel?/What is the story?
Ryan is one of those people who are beautiful through and through. Meet him and you will feel comfortable immediately, maybe because of his warm smile, his deep, full voice or his calm vibe. Or because you might get to watch him play with his dog Rascal, love pouring from his eyes, or enjoy his readiness to help. I experienced both of the latter ones. Here's how:
Walking my bike down Turk street one day I was looking for a bike pump to fix my flat tire. That's when I passed him standing in front of his house, painting. Indeed, he had a pump- and not just any pump; In fact, the one he gave to me was effective enough to make my tires burst with air and finally explode while riding (SF-)downhill... But that is another story.
As I was pumping my arms off I got a glimpse at his painting. It was, well-... interesting! A huge red-pinkish heart covered all of the canvas. My memory might fool me on that one but I think there was glitter involved, too. Lots of glitter. Definitely not my taste- but who am I to judge?
I asked Ryan:
"Are you an artist?"
"Ha, are you kidding?! This is horrible!"
"Mh, I don't know- I consider it a matter of taste. I thought it might be your way of expressing your feelings for someone you love...?"
"Aw, no. It's for this dog rescue thing I am doing tomorrow."
"Huh! Tell me more!"
"I will be standing at the 16th/Mission BART with two puppies and offering a puppy booth: We will take a pictures of people with the puppies for 2 bucks. The money's gonna go to dog rescue stations. And this", he pointed at his painting, "will serve as a background for the pictures."
"That sounds awesome! How'd you come up with that?"
And that's how Ryan ended up telling me all about his project DogPatchSF: Since 2011 he has been collecting used ropes from climbers, sailors and archaeologists. When picking them up he asks about their story which he notes down later on:
Once he has transported the ropes and saved their stories, Ryan turns them into dog leashes! The result: On his website you can order a handmade dog leash that comes with a biography. The best part: Ryan donates a major part of the earnings to dog rescue stations, too!
This man was one of the encounters I would have loved to make friends with and hang out more. He was so easy to talk to and be around! His humor rocked, I laughed a lot, and his eyes were soft and present. Also I love and admire that he devotes all he does to helping animals in need. What a person!
I hope to see him and Rascal again one day- with or without exploding tires involved.
All the best to you two beautiful creatures, crossing fingers for your project to take off, Ryan!
I hope to see him and Rascal again one day- with or without exploding tires involved.
All the best to you two beautiful creatures, crossing fingers for your project to take off, Ryan!