fug. a kid freaked when we walked by ran tripped and hit her head on the park bench. i hope the kid's ok, i think so but i couldn't ask without risking another panic. i had no notion the kid was afraid or i would have detoured. of course a kid is bound to fall anyway and it could have been any dog but it was me and comet and hilde who come there every day, and i hope the mother understands things happen and please please help the kid to not fall prey to her fear. 
post dat. what i would like is to have the chance to help the girl to accept and live with her fear and to teach her all dogs are not objects to fear, and most often are beings like herself who just want to be loved and to love. i believe love gradually overcomes fear. but fear will always be part of life. if only we can learn how to distinguish what is fearful in the world from what is fearful in our minds. i think when we fear we pass our fear to the ones we teach, and it's hard to teach something when fear blocks your mind. as a free agent so to speak, with good loving dogs, i could teach a kid like this to love what she fears.