STARTING A DOG BLOG

During these unprecedented times, canine companions are helping us find ways to cope, maintain productive routines, and cultivate connections. In my new dog blog, dog lovers swap stories, help each other survive the times, and celebrate their life with dogs. Welcome to, “A Dog Named Bucky.”

Clementine and Lucy keep vigil waiting for Mom to come home from the ICU.

“It is amazing how much love and laughter they bring into our lives and even how much closer we become with each other because of them.” - John Grogan, Author of Marley & Me

Finding Ways to Cope

The events of 2020 had a way of forcing a reexamination of life as we know it. For my family, the tragedy of it all started earlier in July of 2019 when my nephew died of a presumed suicide while he was in college. Since then, there has been a steady stream of grief, stress, and strained relationships that flowed into the heartbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, racial reckoning incidents, election challenges, and the Capitol riot. Having a large family with members representing a wide range of the political spectrum, there are often hurtful conflicts during a normal year. However, during this particular time period, we intuitively knew not to provoke political arguments, mock the wearing of masks, or tease about sensitive topics of the day.

It was probably a combination of shock, COVID-19 restrictions, and retirement but as I had fewer interactions with other people, it became increasingly difficult to find words for communicating anything at all. I recently realized that I was talking more to my dogs just to stay in practice of formulating and speaking words. In the beginning, I found refuge by walking and playing with my dogs in the great outdoors. When the snow and cold weather arrived, that was no longer an option. From a secluded house, I made up games like running around the couch pretending to chase my dogs in an attempt steal their toys. They would squeal with delight whenever we played and those simple sounds sustained me for a long time.

As I look back now, I appreciate how incredibly lucky we are that all family members who contracted COVID-19, including my eighty-four year old parents, recovered from it. Members of my family were also fortunate to have homes and steady incomes. Our survival wasn’t without its agonizing moments. There were terrifying trips to the emergency room to get help. Twice I had to leave the hospital wondering if I would ever see my parents again. I also sat vigil with their dogs; waiting for their return home. It was then that I started thinking I might need to find additional ways of coping so I decided to create a blog about a topic I never get tired of discussing….dogs.

Maintaining Productive Routines

Like many people, I am struggling with the isolation created by the COVID-19 pandemic. I am also adjusting to retirement after working more than thirty years as an educator. It seems peculiar to me that I have difficulty determining the day of the week and that I am sometimes disoriented by the blending of day time and night time. Thankfully, I have my dogs to keep me in some semblance of a routine. They always let me know when it is time to eat, go outside, or have a little fun. Their sense of timing moves me to action even when the last thing I want to do was get up and deal with what the world has become.

The bigger challenge is maintaining a healthy outlook with stress, uncertainty, and pandemic paranoia creeping into daily living. Out of necessity, I had to search for productive things to do that would also help me maintain a firm grip on sanity. In addition to caring for my dogs, I have been re-organizing and cleaning different rooms in the house, visiting with neighbors from a safe distance in the backyard, and checking in with my parents daily over Skype. I also helped my parents with holiday gifts by organizing all the family photos into albums and copying over 9,000 electronic images, covering nine maternal and seven paternal generations, on to thumb drives for each family member. It seemed important to share family photos so that our very existence could not slip away easily amidst the chaos of the times. It also felt good to cross an item off my to-do-list that had lingered there for years.

This project inspired a second project, I did the same thing with over 5,200 images of my dogs. I decided that these images could also be put to good use in a new blog about dogs.

Cultivating Connections

When I was working in schools, I never really had the time to spare for social media. I do not even have a Facebook account. The encounters I did have with social media were mostly negative. As a high school principal, I spent a good share of my career investigating harassment perpetrated by people using social media as a weapon. The irony that I am now embarking on a journey to maintain some sense of connection with others through a blog has not escaped my attention.

As I looked at the canine companions sitting next to me on the couch, I thought about how dogs have always been a part of my life. I realized that their presence has been the one constant source of balance and joy. They always seem to know how to ground me in reality or let me escape into another world to nurture meaningful memories.

This blog about dogs is intended to help hang on to the good things during difficult times. I want to pay it forward by helping others get though these unprecedented circumstances and the experience of dealing with our daily lives. Together, we can create more positive karma in our world. I want to do my part by swapping stories about lessons learned from canine companions. I plan to utilize social media, explore the power of words, and display images of a life journey with dogs.

Sharing Life With A K9 Companion

If you are looking to add a canine companion to your family , consider beginning your search with Pet Finder or contact your local shelter. In my area, the Dane County Humane Society is a great place to find family pet.