(Not my dog, but he's so cute!)
My little doggie has a favorite ball he plays fetch with--a tennis ball with all the felt stripped off. He has a basket full of clean, bright green balls, but he always returns to this same ball.
The other day I wound up for a big pitch, but when I threw the ball, it didn't fly straight. Not even close. It hooked left 90 degrees, flew down one of our hills, and got lost among thick brush. (I have the worst arm ever)
I tried to find the glorious ball, and even have the burrs in my clothes to prove it. While I crunched through brittle weeds, I asked my dog, "Why in the heck can't you play with another ball? Why does it have to be this ball?"
And then I understood. It's like someone asking us, "Why not pursue something easier than writing? Like baton twirling, yodeling, or brain surgery?" But writing is our passion. And just like my dog stares into the thicket, knowing what he wants, we stare longingly at the next stage of our writing journey.
So high five to you, fellow writers! It's fun to doggedly pursue our obsession together, knowing we'll get it...one way or another. Just like my dog will eventually find that ball, even if it's not until we clear brush from the hill again. But rest assured, he will find it.
Do you ever feel like a dog with a chew toy when it comes to writing? If you have a dog, does he insist on playing with the same nasty toys?
And on a completely unrelated note, which team are you rooting for in the Superbowl? And where will you watch the game?