COVER GIRL
Okay, this is a surreal week. My Wonderpups and I are going to be the cover story for the September issue of Spot, the dog-focused magazine that replaced Dog Nose News here in Portland, OR.
It is all kinds of backwards and wonderful and flattering. And anyone who knows me at all knows that backwards is the only one of those words that fits me comfortably, but I am gradually feeling safer with things going well and not expecting the proverbial shoe to do its thing. As a very very gay male friend of mine once said, with cocked hip, wrist and attitude, when I was worrying about the evil eye, "Honey, that damn shoe done dropped. And dropped and dropped. Time for some fun." And, finally, after years of emotional hell, my life is taking a sharp turn for the better. It has been for the past 8-9 months anyway. A very very good thing, Martha.
So, anyway, a lovely freelance writer read some of my posts to the SnB (formerly Stitch'n'Bitch) Yahoo group. The irony is that I no longer post there because it got dull and I only knit dog sweaters and ponchos, for some reason, and because I can't seem to control my mood disorder with my fellow knitters. Up until now anyway. Something else to work on. So Alexa the freelancer catching my posts on SnB when she isn't even much of a knitter herself? Kind of a God thing. God I have a complicated relationship, but when I am truly able to do my footwork and then just let go, amazing things happen. But then there is Katrina, Iraq, terrorists, Bushies... Our relationship is complicated and, at time, borderline combative.
Turns out being an agoraphobic writer and having working dogs (no, not that kind. They do not have a corner in Old Town :)) that helphelped me heal and making dog sweaters and doing standup comedy and taking classes and other steps towards becoming a motivational speaker... Turns out this stuff makes me interesting. I knew my story could move and help a cross-section of people. In fact, several of my POP book chapters are in the August Archive on here, so I was already a bit cautiouly optimistic about myself as a good story. I'll be adding some work-in-progress chapters and would be grateful for constructive feedback towards making them better and better. But having someone, well, really two someones, because the publisher Jennifer is a whirling dervish of activity and creativity, not to mention so effing funny, believe in me and find me fascinating and, I kid you not, "easy to work with", well, it does not get any better for someone who was actually once on Oprah for being An Acquired Taste.
It never occurred to me that someone would email me out of the blue, interview me thoroughly, intuitively and professionally the next day, that I would have a real photo shoot the day after. Frosting on the giant cake being that the publisher is a hoot, Alexa the writer gives great interview and writes beautifully and that there would be sidebars with information about Delta Society, Dove Lewis, Animal-Assisted Therapy, NAMI and even Harveys Comedy Club!!!! Almost everyone I care about passionately. Chocolate and Brian Dennehy -- now that I'm older and larger, I love a man with Volume! --did not fit with the other content. An enormous gift from the universe, to get some attention and also have a good chance to help others who are suffering and/or those who just needed to hear about overcoming obstacles.
Of course there will be naysayers who will write in: "She doesn't know ADA law." Send. "She didn't train her service dog properly." Send. "I know her and she could not suck more." Send. But I am choosing, with my hard won panic-disorder-managing skills, to respect other points of view and to focus on any positive feedback that does come in.
More later and maybe even some photos of me and the Wonderpups. This week I am a middle-aged menopawsal (menopause with pets) emotionally challenged Cover Girl. Life is good one day at a time.
Oh yes, here is the link to the photo shoot photos. Might as well give the hip and cool photographer a shout out. I wasn't his dream subject, clearly -- and why the hell would I be? :), but life goes on.
http://www.bmac-photo.com/spot819/
It is all kinds of backwards and wonderful and flattering. And anyone who knows me at all knows that backwards is the only one of those words that fits me comfortably, but I am gradually feeling safer with things going well and not expecting the proverbial shoe to do its thing. As a very very gay male friend of mine once said, with cocked hip, wrist and attitude, when I was worrying about the evil eye, "Honey, that damn shoe done dropped. And dropped and dropped. Time for some fun." And, finally, after years of emotional hell, my life is taking a sharp turn for the better. It has been for the past 8-9 months anyway. A very very good thing, Martha.
So, anyway, a lovely freelance writer read some of my posts to the SnB (formerly Stitch'n'Bitch) Yahoo group. The irony is that I no longer post there because it got dull and I only knit dog sweaters and ponchos, for some reason, and because I can't seem to control my mood disorder with my fellow knitters. Up until now anyway. Something else to work on. So Alexa the freelancer catching my posts on SnB when she isn't even much of a knitter herself? Kind of a God thing. God I have a complicated relationship, but when I am truly able to do my footwork and then just let go, amazing things happen. But then there is Katrina, Iraq, terrorists, Bushies... Our relationship is complicated and, at time, borderline combative.
Turns out being an agoraphobic writer and having working dogs (no, not that kind. They do not have a corner in Old Town :)) that helphelped me heal and making dog sweaters and doing standup comedy and taking classes and other steps towards becoming a motivational speaker... Turns out this stuff makes me interesting. I knew my story could move and help a cross-section of people. In fact, several of my POP book chapters are in the August Archive on here, so I was already a bit cautiouly optimistic about myself as a good story. I'll be adding some work-in-progress chapters and would be grateful for constructive feedback towards making them better and better. But having someone, well, really two someones, because the publisher Jennifer is a whirling dervish of activity and creativity, not to mention so effing funny, believe in me and find me fascinating and, I kid you not, "easy to work with", well, it does not get any better for someone who was actually once on Oprah for being An Acquired Taste.
It never occurred to me that someone would email me out of the blue, interview me thoroughly, intuitively and professionally the next day, that I would have a real photo shoot the day after. Frosting on the giant cake being that the publisher is a hoot, Alexa the writer gives great interview and writes beautifully and that there would be sidebars with information about Delta Society, Dove Lewis, Animal-Assisted Therapy, NAMI and even Harveys Comedy Club!!!! Almost everyone I care about passionately. Chocolate and Brian Dennehy -- now that I'm older and larger, I love a man with Volume! --did not fit with the other content. An enormous gift from the universe, to get some attention and also have a good chance to help others who are suffering and/or those who just needed to hear about overcoming obstacles.
Of course there will be naysayers who will write in: "She doesn't know ADA law." Send. "She didn't train her service dog properly." Send. "I know her and she could not suck more." Send. But I am choosing, with my hard won panic-disorder-managing skills, to respect other points of view and to focus on any positive feedback that does come in.
More later and maybe even some photos of me and the Wonderpups. This week I am a middle-aged menopawsal (menopause with pets) emotionally challenged Cover Girl. Life is good one day at a time.
Oh yes, here is the link to the photo shoot photos. Might as well give the hip and cool photographer a shout out. I wasn't his dream subject, clearly -- and why the hell would I be? :), but life goes on.
http://www.bmac-photo.com/spot819/
posted by TheodoraK at 12:35 PM
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