PEACE: 31 Days of 5-Minute Free Writes

Normally, I would create a different environment to write, even a five-minute free write.

At this moment, I still have the news chatting away on the radio (I would usually have instrumental music). However, I have what I need: The dog is asleep.

I’m dogsitting my son’s puppy, Embry. We’re on roughly day 10 and I’ve come to hoard the moments where Embry decides to nap because they give me — if not peace, freedom from chaos. Having an editing job is not all that compatible with caring for a puppy, but he and I have come to a bit of a detente so far.

He’s a really good dog — but he is still young and he sees any single move I make as a hopeful sign that playing may ensue.

My daughter-in-law gave me a good tip. She told me not to play with him from my desk. That definitely helped. I had been sitting in my chair and throwing him items to fetch. Well, that was all great until I needed to turn around and start focusing on whatever I needed to write or edit.

Now, I at least stand up and walk away from my chair to throw items to fetch.

That has helped a little bit.

I will never be a “dog person,” but I have to admit this particular one has won me over (when he wasn’t eating my lightning cord!).

As with any relationship, there’s a period of learning each other’s language and determining what the terms of the relationship are.

We have only had cats in our household, so the differences are blowing me away. This dog thinks every move I make is exciting (it reminds me of having a toddler, except that I didn’t crate the toddlers up at night!).

Thanks, Embry, for five minutes of peace.