What Do You Think You Are?

The Gregory is a fan of the cable program Dog Whisperer wherein one Cesar Millan, the Dr. Phil of the canine world, analyzes and corrects the sometimes bizarre behavior of man's best friend. A recent episode told the problematic tale of a dog who, for reasons unknown to his human family, was totally intimidated by his surroundings. The poor beastie could not enjoy walkies because upon setting a paw outside the boundaries of his own yard, his tail lodged between his legs and he became a certified puppy poltroon.

The doggie's anguished owners, desiring a better quality of life for their pet, consulted the Dog Whisperer. The DW, sizing up the situation in one glance, grabbed the dog's tail and manually raised it heavenward. Instantly the dog perked up! The transformation was swift and miraculous! No whispering was involved! The DW then devised a special leash that attached to the dog at both ends. The trainer held the lead high in the middle, thereby elevating the dog's tail while walking him down the street. The doggie pranced along as if the very deed to that street were nestled in his personal safe deposit box.

Experts in graphology (the study and analysis of handwriting) believe that, by purposely incorporating "successful" traits into their handwriting, a person has the power to retrain the subconscious mind and transform the personality. Want to be a stronger and more intelligent leader? Cross your t's high on the stem and more to the right. Want to be a better communicator? Make your c's carefully. Want to be more honest? Close your o's. And so on.

Recently I came across this thought and was intrigued by it: Force complicated things into simple channels. It resonated because my dear friend Marilyn, a gifted writer, has been a great encouragement to me of late. She emails me occasionally and gives me a special smile when we meet. "Have you submitted anything new?" she'll want to know. Because of Marilyn I have sent several pieces to various publications. And I plan to keep on submitting pieces even though I'm not sure what I'm doing. Marilyn says I must.

Andrew Jackson is credited with having advised: Never take counsel of your fears. Often when we feel we've been stiff-armed by life and denied our dreams, the real problem is our own inaction due to fear of failure, or even fear of success. So I guess that means that whatever you want to be, you must start acting like that's what you already are. If you don't, you may never have the joy of being that thing.

The Gregory tells practically everyone he meets that his wife is a writer. He drops little pieces of paper on my desk with scribbled email addresses and says, "This is a customer of mine who wants you to send them a link to your blog. I told them you're a writer." I always blush. "Gregger," I demur. "I'm a court reporter. I only want to be a writer." He stares me down. "You're a writer." he insists. I still have not found the courage to make that claim, but right now, for the sake of your as-yet-unrealized dreams, dear reader, I will.

I am a writer. Tag, you're it.

Comments

[Love]

Nice blog. Love the background.