Using Movies, Writing, and All My Interests, for Unfortunate Creatures--A Saturday Journal

There are moments in every life that move you in unexpected directions.  Here I am, contentedly sharing my story, and exercising my love of writing pieces of a mosaic that is my life. 

I am gradually constructing a picture on these pages that I hope will stand as a legacy, a self-portrait, to anyone who cares about me personally, or who shares even some small portion of my interests.  I hoped readers found on these pages a kindred spirit with whom to exchange opinions and enjoy a mutual appreciation of a mayriad of seemingly unrelated subjects.  I hope they will keep doing so.

And then I saw a video last week which haunted me; and I continue to be confronted by photos, like those below, of innocent creatures caught up in man's seeming unending carelessness.  The importance of everything else fell away for few moments. And for many moments since then,  I began to see that instead of me reinvinting my life, my life was seeking to reinvent me.

And I wondered...can I be true to myself,  pursue my personal interests, and still use the life I have left to live to contribute to something as harrowing and important as the rescue, care, and advocacy of animals in harm's way? 

It is overwhelming...  Because I want to be the one to change it all....And I often succumb to emotion, and wonder if I can just pretend it's too far away, that it doesn't affect me....

Reinvention indeed.......

Now, as I think about the work I now do for the Community College; my interest in writing, and film; my undeniable love for animals; my experience in animal care, both domestic and homeless; and my hankering to conquer my home city, Chicago, ....ideas are taking shape.

I have read through the website for Mercy for Animals, which opened my eyes to horror last week, and I will visit their Chicago headquarters before this month is out.  I don't know if I will be considered too old for an internship; or how I can arrange my time to offer assistance with the organization.  But I know that before the year is over there will be something good for me to contribute, whether in person or through the keyboard...

I am writing like crazy...and through the haze of ideas, I see forming a work that I hope can be the Gone With The Wind of animal stories in screenplay form, or a novel, or even a memoir....or a regular feature in this blog.....

The time I volunteer at the Buddy Foundation, feeding and walking the homeless dogs, will take on much more resonance....I feel like I can do so much more....and will.

I will continue to re-explore various points in my life; and reconnect with my heritage (even if only by learning Italian); to understand my life from a unique LGBT perspective; to continue my lifelong love of the motion picture and offer my personal viewpoint and act as a fellow curator of the art form;  to make a comfortable and hospitable home with my partner and best friend; to compulsively read everything I can  find that is of interest; to be a good friend to a few special people; to contribute to the success of students and community members at the college; to spend time with all the dogs in my world; and to stay connected to those things (like music, art, and a budding political awareness) that define me and give me energy and purpose.

And now, it seems that  all of this is conspiring, and coming together, to point me in a direction to do something true and important to save some creatures who need help.  

I hope you will stay with me.....