Day: June 6, 2015

Day by day, Fate enters the spaces in our lives, meets the people and places in our lives, is woven into the fabric of our existence. Today, she went to the hardware store where she is already beloved, and walked on Main Street and went to sit in the bookstore, as Red often does. I keep a leash on her because she is new and still excitable sometimes.

She cannot yet sit still as long as Red, or as quietly, nor should she. She is only 14 weeks old. At the bookstore, she just sat down and stayed there, she looked as natural as Red.

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Maria and I are getting up very early Sunday to drive to Blue Star Equiculture. We want to see Pamela and check out some of the powerful new energy everyone sees is evident there. We hope to come home in the early afternoon. Blue Star is an important place in our lives and, I believe, in the world I think it is the next way, the model for the future of animals, for the proper way to treat people.

A week and a half ago, Paul Moshimer, Pamela’s husband, the co-director of Blue Star and a good friend to me and many others, took his own life. Pamela is a strong and powerful and passionately committed person, Blue Star is rising already. More later.

I taught my short story class at Hubbard Hall again on Saturday, the class will continue well beyond it’s four allotted sessions. It is a special class – bright, open, interesting people very serious about finding their voices and writing well. They will get there. In the fall, I hope to continue teaching short story writing, and may also teach another class on the Art Of The Blog, the growing importance of blogs in individual creativity.

Red comes to every class, he helps relax the students and usually lies by my desk after he as greeted everyone who wishes to be greeted. I always think of Red as a great dog, and I wonder sometimes that the definition of a great dog is.

It differs, of course, with each dog and each individual person or family. There is no one definition of a great dog. It depends on the dog, the people, the circumstances. For me, a great dog is a dog that enters your life and helps define and shape it. A dog who can become a part of the human experience that shapes a life.

Red is with me for much of life, he is graceful, generous, calm. He helps with farm chores, sits with me as I write, goes to the gym, to the dentist, to the bookstore, rides in the car, goes on walks. He defines the passages of my life. He is trustworthy and affectionate, responsive and intuitive,  he does powerful therapy work as well as wonderful sheepherding.

I have been blessed with wonderful dogs, I think I would describe two of them as great dogs for me – Red and Rose.

My swan,

was homeless once,

left on an old estate,

covered in dirt,

leaves, twigs,

algae.

Someone found her,

my wife bought her,

and brought her to me,

I love her,

she is my muse now, sits proudly

in the corner of my office,

preening for my imagination.

Do not let the sadness possess you,

Don’t worry. Once in every day I

will seek out the light of the world,

I will happily borrow all of the color

that I need,

to bring you back.

The bus from Brayton Elementary School in North Adams, Mass. pulled up around 10:30, Lisa Tanner, one of the very dedicated teachers there, had read “Saving Simon” to the class, and she said the story had captured their attention and imagination more than any other thing this year. She urged me to let her bring the class, I hesitated a bit – 50 kids her on the farm? – but Maria and I both loved the idea, and we are so grateful they came. These were great kids, smart, polite, interested, fun.

After they saw the animals, I pulled up a chair and we talked about Simon, abuse, the importance of animals, and the real meaning of compassion. I think I never had a more attentive audience. I am grateful they came, I hope they came back. It was humbling and wonderful. Kids need animals in their lives, and so do adults. Glad they come to see ours.