I must be nuts. At the ripe middle age of 56, I'm doing yet another thing I never expected to do- I've signed up to go back to college. And not to finish a degree, either. Starting from scratch. And not a walk-in-the-park course either. It's probably going to be harder than crap. And being a college student, I realize that "harder than crap" is a comparative adjective phrase that doesn't hold up at all, but you get the idea.
As negative as all that must have sounded, though, I'm actually quite excited about it. There are so many unexpected connections in all this. My degree is going to be in Information Technology (with an emphasis in Security), a field that scarcely existed when I originally reached college age. It's an online degree, meaning that it's about computers, and it's being done by means of a computer. That definitely didn't exist when I was 18.
The progress technology had to make in order for this to be possible is nothing short of amazing. I'm not sure we would have been able to visualize being able to do this back then. We had been told what the future would be like, but those predictions usually involved flying cars and the like. I'm still waiting for that one, but overall, the progress has been astonishing. The computer I'm typing this on is a decent one, but nothing extraordinary compared to some. That makes it easy to forget that, average as it is, this computer is more powerful than the ones on the Apollo missions that took men to the moon.
We've come a very long way, and our possibilities now are almost endless. It's just my opinion, but I believe that the days of living an adulthood without a learning curve are behind us. I believe we have to either go forward or backward, and staying in one place is a luxury we no longer have. And, as my daughters might say, I'm down with that. The only catch is that you have to actively pick up the baton and run with it, and once you've done that, it's your race to win or lose.
A lot has certainly changed since I originally enrolled at good ol' Tennessee Tech. It's more important than ever to have a plan for success, and I'm finding that age and experience are a big help in that area. In fact, I've used my TTU days as the basis for my first item in my own plan:
I plan to drink a LOT less beer this time.
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Friday, June 18, 2010
LHRA Goes All High-Tech
I just figured out how to put live weather conditions for Greenview on this page. If you watch the data box closely, you'll see that it's actually updating every 30 seconds or so. Cool, huh? I figured that for all the babbling about the weather I do on here, this would give the real story on it (and back up MY stories in the process!).
I don't know the name of the person who is contributing the information, or I would give them credit here. People can buy these personal weather stations and set them up so that the information they collect gets sent to a site called Weather Underground. That site then offers up these neat little windows that can be put on other web pages like this one.
Just a fun little thing I stumbled across, and maybe the ONLY thing in our little town of Greenview that changes fast enough to need live updates. And that's really the part I like best.
I don't know the name of the person who is contributing the information, or I would give them credit here. People can buy these personal weather stations and set them up so that the information they collect gets sent to a site called Weather Underground. That site then offers up these neat little windows that can be put on other web pages like this one.
Just a fun little thing I stumbled across, and maybe the ONLY thing in our little town of Greenview that changes fast enough to need live updates. And that's really the part I like best.
Monday, May 31, 2010
Monday, May 17, 2010
Carla
I had been thinking for a couple of days about a subject for a new post on here, a funny one (to me, at least), but I'm putting that one on temporary hold in order to do this one. This is what's on my mind this rainy Monday morning, and sometimes there are things that need to be considered right away instead of delaying them.
When I first moved to our little town of Greenview, two of the first people I became acquainted with were my friends Sue Elliot and Carla Clemens, who were longtime friends themselves. I honestly don't recall which order I met them in, but because it was so close in time, I invariably think of them together. Everyone here, without exception, has been more than generous in making my wife and me feel welcome in this great little town, but these two have led the pack in that effort.
Carla in particular has just been a little one-woman cheering section for me personally. She writes the most charming little blog about Greenview, and when I became a fan of it (and later decided to start THIS blog), she was first in line to encourage me. My goal was to try to capture some of the small-town feel she had in her blog, and so far, I haven't particularly done a very good job of that. But I'm working on it.
Back in December, Carla's blog posts (which had been pretty much daily) stopped suddenly. The same became true for her Facebook posts. That was immediately noticeable because she had made herself part of the landscape here, and anytime you can do that, you're conspicuous by your absence. The citizens of the "landscape" worry about you.
Today, 5 months later, she broke her silence with a Facebook post. Let me be clear that I want to go to whatever length necessary to respect her privacy, but the post told of how she was dealing with some major health problems of her own while also helping care for two gravely-ill sisters, one of whom she lost this past Saturday. She explained that all this together has led her to deal with these matters privately, and that maintaining that minimal contact with the outside world is just how she feels she needs to handle this at the moment.
I have nothing but respect for that, and nothing but concern for her, and I'll honor whatever she chooses to do. But I also can't let this window of opportunity pass without letting her know, in this forum that she inspired me to step into, that she is a ray of sunshine in the lives of everyone she touches, and that she will be in our prayers daily.
And I can't wait until she gets back to her blog, because SOMEBODY needs to show me how to do this!
We love you, Carla, and we're praying for you to get well soon!
When I first moved to our little town of Greenview, two of the first people I became acquainted with were my friends Sue Elliot and Carla Clemens, who were longtime friends themselves. I honestly don't recall which order I met them in, but because it was so close in time, I invariably think of them together. Everyone here, without exception, has been more than generous in making my wife and me feel welcome in this great little town, but these two have led the pack in that effort.
Carla in particular has just been a little one-woman cheering section for me personally. She writes the most charming little blog about Greenview, and when I became a fan of it (and later decided to start THIS blog), she was first in line to encourage me. My goal was to try to capture some of the small-town feel she had in her blog, and so far, I haven't particularly done a very good job of that. But I'm working on it.
Back in December, Carla's blog posts (which had been pretty much daily) stopped suddenly. The same became true for her Facebook posts. That was immediately noticeable because she had made herself part of the landscape here, and anytime you can do that, you're conspicuous by your absence. The citizens of the "landscape" worry about you.
Today, 5 months later, she broke her silence with a Facebook post. Let me be clear that I want to go to whatever length necessary to respect her privacy, but the post told of how she was dealing with some major health problems of her own while also helping care for two gravely-ill sisters, one of whom she lost this past Saturday. She explained that all this together has led her to deal with these matters privately, and that maintaining that minimal contact with the outside world is just how she feels she needs to handle this at the moment.
I have nothing but respect for that, and nothing but concern for her, and I'll honor whatever she chooses to do. But I also can't let this window of opportunity pass without letting her know, in this forum that she inspired me to step into, that she is a ray of sunshine in the lives of everyone she touches, and that she will be in our prayers daily.
And I can't wait until she gets back to her blog, because SOMEBODY needs to show me how to do this!
We love you, Carla, and we're praying for you to get well soon!
Friday, April 30, 2010
A Dash of Plagiarism
OK...confession time: The only part of this post that I actually wrote is this here opening paragraph. The rest of it is just something someone shared with me, and I thought I'd share it with you guys. Being the kind of living-on-the-edge guy I am, though, I'm posting it BEFORE I show it to my wife! Danger is my middle name! (Actually, "Daryl" is, but that wouldn't make much sense in this instance). Anyway, hope you enjoy it!
1) Fine
This is the word women use to end an argument when they are right and you need to just shut up.
2) Five Minutes
If she is getting dressed, this means half an hour. Five minutes is only five minutes if you have just been given five more minutes to watch the game before helping around the house.
3) Nothing
This is the calm before the storm. This means "something", and you should be on your toes. Arguments that begin with "nothing" usually end up with "fine".
4) Go Ahead
This is a dare, not permission. Don't do it!
5) Loud Sigh
This is actually a word, but it is a non-verbal statement often misunderstood by men. It means she thinks you are an idiot, and she wonders why she is wasting her time standing there and arguing with you about "nothing" (see #3).
6. ) That's Okay
This is one of the most dangerous statements a woman can make to a man. "That's okay" means she wants to think long and hard before deciding how and when you will pay for your mistake.
7. ) Thanks
A woman is thanking you. Do not question, or faint. Just say "You're welcome".
WARNING: This is true, unless she says "Thanks a LOT"- that is pure sarcasm and she is not thanking you at all. DO NOT say"You're welcome". That will bring on "Whatever" (see #8, below).
8. ) Whatever
This is a woman's way of saying " **** you!!!!"
9.) Don't Worry About It, I Got It
Another dangerous statement, meaning that this is something a woman has told a man to do several times, but now she is doing it for herself. This will later result in a man asking "What's wrong?" (see #3, above).
9 Deadly Words Used By Women
1) Fine
This is the word women use to end an argument when they are right and you need to just shut up.
2) Five Minutes
If she is getting dressed, this means half an hour. Five minutes is only five minutes if you have just been given five more minutes to watch the game before helping around the house.
3) Nothing
This is the calm before the storm. This means "something", and you should be on your toes. Arguments that begin with "nothing" usually end up with "fine".
4) Go Ahead
This is a dare, not permission. Don't do it!
5) Loud Sigh
This is actually a word, but it is a non-verbal statement often misunderstood by men. It means she thinks you are an idiot, and she wonders why she is wasting her time standing there and arguing with you about "nothing" (see #3).
6. ) That's Okay
This is one of the most dangerous statements a woman can make to a man. "That's okay" means she wants to think long and hard before deciding how and when you will pay for your mistake.
7. ) Thanks
A woman is thanking you. Do not question, or faint. Just say "You're welcome".
WARNING: This is true, unless she says "Thanks a LOT"- that is pure sarcasm and she is not thanking you at all. DO NOT say"You're welcome". That will bring on "Whatever" (see #8, below).
8. ) Whatever
This is a woman's way of saying " **** you!!!!"
9.) Don't Worry About It, I Got It
Another dangerous statement, meaning that this is something a woman has told a man to do several times, but now she is doing it for herself. This will later result in a man asking "What's wrong?" (see #3, above).
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Some Thoughts On Creative Block And The Power Of Audacity
I thought that rather than risk backsliding into AWOL status again, I'd stop by and shoot the breeze here for a little bit. I hope everybody's doing well.
There has been SO much going on, especially in the last couple of weeks, that most of my creative cells or muscles or whatever they are have gone into standby mode. That's not the best thing in the world when you have a number of creative ACTIVITIES going on. One project is a CD, another is an upcoming live solo appearance, and yet another you're reading right now.
There are a number of reasons for this: the ever-present crazy schedule, a recent family loss, and an assortment of smaller causes thrown in for good measure. At least in my case, it's possible to get enough of these factors going simultaneously to just shut down your creative productivity. And it's not that you don't WANT to produce something- it's more that you just don't feel like you have any of it in you.
Fortunately, I've been here before, and I know it when I see it. I also know that it always has a short shelf-life, regardless of how things might seem at a given moment. Living life is about moving on, and by that very fact, it's not a lesson you only get to learn once. You learn it repeatedly, because you're, well, moving on. The good news is that each learning experience you have with this prepares you a little better for the next one, and maybe that's the best thing you could ask for anyway.
Sometimes, the only footing you can find to take that needed next step is the willingness to find a little audacity in yourself and stand on that. That little nugget occurred to me yesterday on the way to work as I was hearing a commercial on the radio. There's a restaurant in Springfield that has a not-at-all humble name: Incredibly Delicious. I've never been there, but now I almost feel obligated to go, because I almost feel I owe them for opening my eyes to this whole audacity thing.
I'm not sure I'd have the self-assurance to open a restaurant and put that name on it. Mine would more probably be called "I'm Pretty Sure You'll Like It" or something like that. I mean, to call a restaurant that, you either have to be able to back it up from moment one, or you've got to be one of the most flagrant BSers to ever draw a breath. Although I don't know this from experience, I do know by their reputation that they apparently fall into the first group.
How great is that, to be so good at what you do that, even when you're on the cusp of opening a new business, you're willing to put a mark on it that commits you to only the highest level of performance? There is uncertainty in ANY new business venture, large or small, but to step beyond that and put that name right out there is a great example of what I'm talking about. If you can find nothing else within yourself, find that audacity and use it for your first stepping-stone. What a thought-provoking and uplifting lesson to find in something we'd normally take for granted!
I hear their bread's to die for, too!
There has been SO much going on, especially in the last couple of weeks, that most of my creative cells or muscles or whatever they are have gone into standby mode. That's not the best thing in the world when you have a number of creative ACTIVITIES going on. One project is a CD, another is an upcoming live solo appearance, and yet another you're reading right now.
There are a number of reasons for this: the ever-present crazy schedule, a recent family loss, and an assortment of smaller causes thrown in for good measure. At least in my case, it's possible to get enough of these factors going simultaneously to just shut down your creative productivity. And it's not that you don't WANT to produce something- it's more that you just don't feel like you have any of it in you.
Fortunately, I've been here before, and I know it when I see it. I also know that it always has a short shelf-life, regardless of how things might seem at a given moment. Living life is about moving on, and by that very fact, it's not a lesson you only get to learn once. You learn it repeatedly, because you're, well, moving on. The good news is that each learning experience you have with this prepares you a little better for the next one, and maybe that's the best thing you could ask for anyway.
Sometimes, the only footing you can find to take that needed next step is the willingness to find a little audacity in yourself and stand on that. That little nugget occurred to me yesterday on the way to work as I was hearing a commercial on the radio. There's a restaurant in Springfield that has a not-at-all humble name: Incredibly Delicious. I've never been there, but now I almost feel obligated to go, because I almost feel I owe them for opening my eyes to this whole audacity thing.
I'm not sure I'd have the self-assurance to open a restaurant and put that name on it. Mine would more probably be called "I'm Pretty Sure You'll Like It" or something like that. I mean, to call a restaurant that, you either have to be able to back it up from moment one, or you've got to be one of the most flagrant BSers to ever draw a breath. Although I don't know this from experience, I do know by their reputation that they apparently fall into the first group.
How great is that, to be so good at what you do that, even when you're on the cusp of opening a new business, you're willing to put a mark on it that commits you to only the highest level of performance? There is uncertainty in ANY new business venture, large or small, but to step beyond that and put that name right out there is a great example of what I'm talking about. If you can find nothing else within yourself, find that audacity and use it for your first stepping-stone. What a thought-provoking and uplifting lesson to find in something we'd normally take for granted!
I hear their bread's to die for, too!
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Hibernation's Over!
I've been away from the blog for so long that now I sort of feel like a guilty little kid trying to sneak into the house unnoticed. Not that I ever experienced being a guilty little kid, you understand. I'm just talking rhetorically or some such adjective.
My good friend Sande Elkins tactfully reminded me that there was nothing new on here when she last looked. I have been remiss in my duties. The truth is, neither Sande or I actually talk like that. I'm not even sure that there's a documented case of someone from Loudon, Tennessee using the word "remiss" in a sentence. If that's true, then I just became a trailblazer (!), and if it's not, then I've been, well, remiss in my research.
Nothing's wrong- I've just been pretty busy with a new job and with working on a fairly sizable music project, and there has just not been that much spare time to go around. I guess that's a net good thing, but I really do miss getting on here and letting the thoughts go wherever they want to go. It's really therapeutic for me to do that, and I resolve to do better. Or at least TRY to do better. I'm pretty sure.
I've never paid much attention to it, so I don't know if this happens every year, but it seems like my activity level is tied to the seasons this year. This winter was almost like hibernation, which isn't all that bad a tactic in Illinois winters, and now that spring's coming on, I seem to be getting busier. Now we're coming up on the switch to Daylight Savings Time, which presents me with the perfect opportunity to go off on a tangent.
Am I the only one still a little confused by time changes? I know they've been around long enough now to be routine, but I just never have gotten comfortable with them. We've developed these little cutesy memory aids to apply to them, like "Spring forward and fall back", but even THOSE give me a little problem. I always get it confused with "falling forward", like when you trip on something, ot "springing back", like when you almost stepped in something.
I have to admit that I share my grandfather's take on this whole DST business, or DST BS, if you will. He observed (correctly) that when it gets dark, people turn the lights on, and when it gets hot or cold, they turn the AC or heat on, and what TIME you call it has little if any bearing on it. So, he reasoned, how is any energy getting saved (which was the original goal of making the switch)? Answer us THAT one, Department of Energy!
I need to apply for some kind of exemption anyway, because I've been chronologically-challenged ever since I moved into the Central Time Zone from the Eastern Time Zone. I still say "6 o'clock" and "11 o'clock" news, knowing full well that in the Central zone, these two things come on at 5 and 10. I couldn't even guess how many times I've missed the news over that bit of confusion. In the CST zone, it gets dark at 4:30 in the afternoon in the winter. In the EST, it stays daylight until 9:30 at night in the summer. And I just can't get it to seem right that Saturday Night Live comes on at 10:30 here, when it's OBVIOUSLY an 11:30 show.
They say you can't teach an old dog new tricks, but at the same time they say you're never too old to learn. They also say that the more things change, the more they stay the same (which I've NEVER understood!). For now, my only comment is that the old dog can learn new tricks if he can be convinced that they're worth learning. Other than that, I guess I'll leave these contradictory sayings as another tangent for another day.
It's good to be back! Take care!
My good friend Sande Elkins tactfully reminded me that there was nothing new on here when she last looked. I have been remiss in my duties. The truth is, neither Sande or I actually talk like that. I'm not even sure that there's a documented case of someone from Loudon, Tennessee using the word "remiss" in a sentence. If that's true, then I just became a trailblazer (!), and if it's not, then I've been, well, remiss in my research.
Nothing's wrong- I've just been pretty busy with a new job and with working on a fairly sizable music project, and there has just not been that much spare time to go around. I guess that's a net good thing, but I really do miss getting on here and letting the thoughts go wherever they want to go. It's really therapeutic for me to do that, and I resolve to do better. Or at least TRY to do better. I'm pretty sure.
I've never paid much attention to it, so I don't know if this happens every year, but it seems like my activity level is tied to the seasons this year. This winter was almost like hibernation, which isn't all that bad a tactic in Illinois winters, and now that spring's coming on, I seem to be getting busier. Now we're coming up on the switch to Daylight Savings Time, which presents me with the perfect opportunity to go off on a tangent.
Am I the only one still a little confused by time changes? I know they've been around long enough now to be routine, but I just never have gotten comfortable with them. We've developed these little cutesy memory aids to apply to them, like "Spring forward and fall back", but even THOSE give me a little problem. I always get it confused with "falling forward", like when you trip on something, ot "springing back", like when you almost stepped in something.
I have to admit that I share my grandfather's take on this whole DST business, or DST BS, if you will. He observed (correctly) that when it gets dark, people turn the lights on, and when it gets hot or cold, they turn the AC or heat on, and what TIME you call it has little if any bearing on it. So, he reasoned, how is any energy getting saved (which was the original goal of making the switch)? Answer us THAT one, Department of Energy!
I need to apply for some kind of exemption anyway, because I've been chronologically-challenged ever since I moved into the Central Time Zone from the Eastern Time Zone. I still say "6 o'clock" and "11 o'clock" news, knowing full well that in the Central zone, these two things come on at 5 and 10. I couldn't even guess how many times I've missed the news over that bit of confusion. In the CST zone, it gets dark at 4:30 in the afternoon in the winter. In the EST, it stays daylight until 9:30 at night in the summer. And I just can't get it to seem right that Saturday Night Live comes on at 10:30 here, when it's OBVIOUSLY an 11:30 show.
They say you can't teach an old dog new tricks, but at the same time they say you're never too old to learn. They also say that the more things change, the more they stay the same (which I've NEVER understood!). For now, my only comment is that the old dog can learn new tricks if he can be convinced that they're worth learning. Other than that, I guess I'll leave these contradictory sayings as another tangent for another day.
It's good to be back! Take care!
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Ho-Hum!
It's been a while since I put anything on here, but that's reflective of the pace of winter in the Midwest. Everything just seems to drag along, and most days don't really offer much worthy of comment. The best way I've found to describe Midwest winters is to just say that you let them happen to you. It'll be over when it's over. This is never more true than during what I always think of as the Black Hole phase of the year: the Holidays are over, football season's over, baseball season is still weeks (if not months) away, and it still gets dark around 5 PM.
And, of course, it's colder than CRAP!
So, you can catch up on your reading, see those movies you've been wanting to see, re-connect with old friends on sites like Facebook, or you can pursue any number of other sedentary activites that don't involve frostbite or running your car into a ditch somewhere.
I didn't have much to say when I started this, but I was hoping it would brighten up a little as I went along. So far, it doesn't seem to be happening for me. It's really not THAT bad, but days like this sure do inspire some cabin fever.
It might help if it weren't true that I can count the number of days THIS YEAR that I've seen the Sun on the fingers of one hand, and have fingers left over. Or if we'd had a continuous 24-hour period in the last 3 months with no snow on the ground. But neither of those things are true. I understand that this is Illinois, and that this is late January, but jeez!
Forgive me for this entry's being a total bummer. Believe me, as soon as something interesting or funny happens, I'll be all over it. In the meantime, I just felt like I should do this post as a "message in a bottle" to assure folks that I'm still kicking. At least the furnace works and everybody's healthy. I guess for now, I'm going to indulge in the most exciting part of the day...
I'm gonna go to the post Office and check the mail!
And, of course, it's colder than CRAP!
So, you can catch up on your reading, see those movies you've been wanting to see, re-connect with old friends on sites like Facebook, or you can pursue any number of other sedentary activites that don't involve frostbite or running your car into a ditch somewhere.
I didn't have much to say when I started this, but I was hoping it would brighten up a little as I went along. So far, it doesn't seem to be happening for me. It's really not THAT bad, but days like this sure do inspire some cabin fever.
It might help if it weren't true that I can count the number of days THIS YEAR that I've seen the Sun on the fingers of one hand, and have fingers left over. Or if we'd had a continuous 24-hour period in the last 3 months with no snow on the ground. But neither of those things are true. I understand that this is Illinois, and that this is late January, but jeez!
Forgive me for this entry's being a total bummer. Believe me, as soon as something interesting or funny happens, I'll be all over it. In the meantime, I just felt like I should do this post as a "message in a bottle" to assure folks that I'm still kicking. At least the furnace works and everybody's healthy. I guess for now, I'm going to indulge in the most exciting part of the day...
I'm gonna go to the post Office and check the mail!
Friday, January 15, 2010
A New One To Check Out
Just a quick entry to let everyone know about a new blog being started by my good friend and church brother Jimmy Rice. It's at http://accordingtojimmy.blogspot.com/
Jimmy's one of the funniest and most delightful people I know, and just knowing him tells me his blog will be well worth keeping up with. Even though he's smart as a whip and a very spiritual person, he could easily have been a comedian, and if anything at all of him comes across in his blog, it'll be a treat!
Check it out if you get a chance. You won't regret it!
Jimmy's one of the funniest and most delightful people I know, and just knowing him tells me his blog will be well worth keeping up with. Even though he's smart as a whip and a very spiritual person, he could easily have been a comedian, and if anything at all of him comes across in his blog, it'll be a treat!
Check it out if you get a chance. You won't regret it!
Monday, January 11, 2010
Who's training who?
Well, the big news around our house is that we got our new dog this weekend- Bosco, a 9-month old Boston Terrier. If you've happened to follow my Facebook page in the recent past, you might recall that our little 12-year-old Pekingese, Beavis passed away a couple of months back. At that time, we made the statement that we didn't want to get another one because we didn't want to go through that loss again. Beavis was literally like one of our children, and after 12 years of having him around, I'm positive that having to take him out and bury him will endure as one of the hardest things I've ever had to do.
There's something about pets that I've learned over and over again (including right now) that never ceases to amaze me- the fact that, for all our talk about training them, they end up teaching us much more. I was crazy about Beavis, but he could be so stubborn at times that it would just frustrate me no end that he couldn't see that I was trying to do what was best for him. He had an independent streak so wide that his small body size seemed like a deception. In his last couple of years, however, his health steadily declined to the point that he wasn't able to go upstairs on his own, so every night, I'd scoop him up in my arms and carefully carry him up, making it a point to set him down gently once we got there to allow his weak little legs and hips to adjust to his body weight. He could then go to his water dish on his own for his bedtime drink, then he'd let me deposit him into bed.
As I was carrying him up one night when he'd been particularly weak, the thought struck me of what a little microcosm that was of what it must be like for God to deal with me sometimes. I can certainly be stubborn and unwilling to listen when a superior power tries to get me to see what is or is not good for me. But it never fails that when I get in over my head, He is willing to scoop me up and get me safely through whatever challenge is at hand, because His love for me isn't daunted in the least by my stubbornness. To Him, my welfare takes precedence over my sometimes-boneheaded behaviors. That's a good piece of information to have right there.
So, what am I learning from Bosco as he enters his second full day in our household? I can name several things already: resilience, spirit, determination, and love for life. Bosco's story is not a happy one at all. He was born in a "puppy mill", an unethical breeding operation where the goal is to produce the maximum number of dogs for the maximum possible profit. When he was born, he had some serious health problems in the form of severe allergies and digestive problems that caused him to be really small and thin. The people who ran the "puppy mill" only saw that he was not going to be a money maker for them, so they basically decided to just starve him to death and not provide any vet care for him. I can't imagine a worse position to be in for a creature that vulnerable. There was every possibility that his story would end, painfully, right where he was, and no one would have ever been the wiser.
Fortunately, a puppy rescue organization found out about him somehow and took him in. It was an improvement, but he was still in crowded conditions with other dogs, subject to whatever other health problems might have come from that. The puppy rescue depended on donated food, so he ate whatever they were able to get their hands on. Portions and appropriate diet were pretty much just items of wishful thinking. He did get some basic vet care, and he was even adopted once, by a lady who returned him after about a month because she didn't want to deal with his health issues. The chances for him to get adopted permanently looked pretty slim, enough so that the rescue organization put him on the internet. That's where we came in, and this past Saturday, we made the 275-mile drive over some pretty darn slick roads to go make him ours, and it's one of the most worthwhile trips I've ever made.
In "dog years", Bosco is even now just an early adolescent, and if he was human, we'd have every reason to expect he'd be a juvenile delinquent (or whatever they call it now), given what he's been through. Instead, he's just a joy to be around. Showing him even a little love has been like touching a match to gasoline- he's just exploded into this delightful little personality that loves his new family with all his heart, and I don't even know how describe how hard he tries to please us. There is no bitterness, he is not withdrawn, and he loves to make us laugh. He is a one-man show on the subject of how life is worth living to the fullest extent possible, regardless of what you've been through or what your frailties might be. He is a living example to even the most skeptical heart that love can conquer anything. A lesson like that, from whatever source, is worth more than gold in my book.
He's pretty darn cute, too. We're glad he's here.
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