A Dog's Hiatus

I've been thinking as I go around town, What if someone asks me about my blog, how it's going? Nobody has so far, but I keep thinking it's still possible. I made a big deal some months ago about being "the local man" with his own blog. I thought that would generate some positive publicity, some interest in what the common guy thought, but somehow it fell through the cracks.

Since then, one day I was stunned to look in the paper and see that another guy in town, suffering badly with cancer, has his own blog. He apparently writes it, but it's written from the point of view of his dog. So it's his dog's blog! The dog writes concerning his master's sufferings, what medicines he's taking, his treatment regimen, and the various ups and downs that go with sickness. So they had a big story in the paper about a dog having its own blog!

And here I sit! What's my big failing? Apparently that I didn't turn over the reins to my animals. Some unusual twist like that. Like they always said about journalism, if it's "Dog Bites Man" that's no story, but if it's "Man Bites Dog," then you've got something. Well, maybe I will take a bite out of this dog. I could write in, call it fraud. And a rip off of Barbara Bush's original idea, "Millie's Book." But then the other day I saw a book written from the perspective of Bo Obama, so maybe dogs are the way for an enterprising blogger to go.

Everybody needs something creative, I guess, to get them noticed. And if it means subsuming my ego in that way, sharing the credit, being the ghost writer for a brute animal, then that's something I might have to consider. But not now. 1) It's already being done and would have to be done better, like not just one dog but maybe a dog and cat bickering back and forth like "Crossfire." And, 2) I'm still on hiatus and shouldn't even be thinking of these ideas. A good hiatus is meant for vegetating, not conceiving projects and themes.

I'm looking over at my dog right now. She's just lying there on the floor. It's foolish to consider. But as for this cancer guy, whatever gets you through the night. Or whatever gets you through your life. If you want to ascribe all these feelings and opinions to your dog, go ahead. To me it's too cutesy pie. Your dog looks up at you with those puppy dog eyes and you start reading all kinds of things into them. The love that perhaps you don't get from people. For people are forever passing you by whereas Fido's right there to keep your leg warm at night.

Anyway, there's no real glory in a newspaper article. It's like all glory, fleeting and basically worthless. What do I care if a bunch of townspeople know about my blog? Who are they? Give them a pitchfork and a few torches and they'd be happy. That's the mob mentality. That's why this cancer guy's putting it off on his dog. So he can throw his hands up and say It's the dog! Because when the mob gets there they're not in any mood for negotiating. You're the one! they might say to me. Because they don't know about the emptiness of glory. And anyone who tips the balance, who siphons their potential glory away, they want to destroy.

My dog lying there on the floor -- oh, I'll say the word I want to use! laying there on the floor (may the English police be d----d!) -- she's got the right idea. Sleep on! Take a hiatus! Enjoy it! If anyone notices, so much the worse. If no one notices, so much the better. Let other phonies take the worthless glory. As for you and me, let us lay here -- lie here, whatever -- and let another day pass us by.

The old phrase, "It's a dog's life," has it right, if you leave the dog well enough alone and don't try to garner for her any unwanted publicity. "It's a dog's hiatus" goes right along with it as honest truth. And that's what I'll be spending ... today certainly, tomorrow likely, forever maybe!