I hear what you’re saying. “How can your dogs reveal anything about writing
avoidance, unless it’s them encouraging said writing avoidance in favor of doggy
attention?”
Just wait. You’ll see.
It was time to groom Moke, my two-year-old English Cocker Spaniel. I collected the necessary tools on the sly and set them out on my coffee table. I grabbed the down throw and flung that over the couch. Not only does fur not stick to it, both my dogs love this blanket. Add a couple of treats to the collection, and I was ready.
That made one of us. When I called my puppy’s name, he took one look and tried to slink out the dog door. I caught him just in time, scooped him up and settled him on the couch. Picking up the comb with serrated edges to painlessly slice through any mats, I started on his ears. He sighed. By the third stroke,
his eyes had closed.
We moved onto brushing his back, and then to the leg and side feathers, which is what those longer strands of dog fur are called. By then he had settled himself onto the couch, his breathing slowing. As much as he had wanted to escape, he was thoroughly enjoying the grooming.
That made me think about writing. At the end of December, I realized that I hadn’t written any blog posts in quite a while. “You wrote months’ worth, so you’re good through the end of December,” I told myself. After a second, I added, “And it’s now December 20th.” Oops.
Yes, it was the holiday season. But having indulged in my own brand of writing avoidance for way too long, I had run out of wiggle room. So, for the next two weeks, I knuckled down and cranked out more than twenty blog posts, making notes on a dozen more.
And guess what? As usual, the more I wrote, the faster and easier the words flowed. As much as I love my work as a writing coach, I realize that doing my own writing left me feeling more fulfilled than I had in quite some time. In short, I enjoyed every part and every moment of the process. Thanks to Moke, I’ll remember that in the weeks and months to come. Enough with the writing avoidance!
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