Hello World I’m Still Here

Four and half months ago I launched my blog with my first post ‘Hello World from an Unabashed Dog Lover’. It has been four months of many trials, much stumbling and a few successes. Fellow bloggers will understand. At times it felt like I was shooting up flares from a deserted island hoping that someone, anyone, would find me.

In an effort to improve the quality of my posts and give my blog some focus, I decided to enroll in the WordPress ‘Blogging 101’ workshop. The first assignment is to publish a ‘who I am and why I am here’ post. This is my ‘re-introduction’ .

It should be easy to introduce myself, to tell you who I am. However, it’s not that simple. Sure, the recital of facts is easy enough. I’m closer to 60 than 50. How did that happen? I’m retired from toiling in the corporate world. I’m an empty nester, my son flew the coop a few years ago, eventually joining the Canadian Navy. I am based out of the west, traveling between Arizona and Alberta, he is based in Halifax Nova Scotia, on the east coast. I frequently give thanks to the inventors of the telephone and the internet which allow us to get together virtually.

I have always been an avid reader, devouring three to four books a month. I’m old school. I loved to spend Sunday morning lounging over a newspaper. I have been drawn into the world of social media and the internet, sometimes kicking and screaming in protest; sometimes jumping in with wide-eyed abandon, such as when I launched my blog. I still treasure the written word although now it is displayed to me on various screens. A well written article gives you things to think about; it does not tell you what to think.

And finally, I’m a dog lover. I have always been an animal lover spending many hours glued to the TV watching Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom. Unfortunately, getting a dog was just not something my parents would even consider. It took me years of coaxing, rationalizing and pleading to convince my husband that a dog was a good idea. Somehow that four legged creature wormed it’s way into my husbands heart and became his loyal side kick. For the last fourteen years I have had a dog. At one time four loving souls shared my life. They are my loyal companions and my wise teachers. They offer a source of comfort by simply resting their head in my lap and are often a source of laughter as I watch them navigate the world with wide-eyed wonder and trusting abandonment.

Now for the hard questions. “Why am I blogging?” and “Why should you read my blog?”

My goal is to share my love of the written word and my love of dogs. Everyone loves a good dog story, right? After observing the antics of my companions over the years, I have many stories in my heart, banging at the door, wanting to come out. A storyteller needs an audience. This is where you come in. If you love dogs or think you could love dogs, have a dog or just want a dog, you may find my blog interesting. More than that, I want my posts to reach out and grab you, to make you laugh and sometimes move you to tears. That’s what life is really about; it’s the emotions. As I share the tales of my dogs, I hope to awaken the memories you have of your dogs, past and present. I hope that you will find in me a kindred spirit and will understand the many times I stumbled as I learned to parent my dogs. I hope you will laugh with me. I hope sharing the sorrow I felt when I lost a dog helps you in grieving the loss of your dog.

By sharing my love of dogs and how they enrich my life, maybe I will encourage others to take one or more of these loving creatures into their lives. Maybe I will be able to encourage someone to adopt one of the millions of dogs that need new homes. Maybe I will encourage someone to save a life.

I hope you will share your love of dogs with me, too. If you are just finding your love for these faithful companions, please share that discovery with me as well.

So, “Hello World!” I am still here and I hope you find me.