December 7, 2011.
November 11, 2020.
It fascinates me that the day I got my Canadian work visa was the anniversary of Pearl Harbor, and the day I adopted my dog was Veterans Day.
Both are independence days to me, and I’ve found myself thinking of them lately.
December 7, 2011 is part of the 1st Movement of my manuscript. It sets the stage, sets the stakes, which are high. It’s my first “Independence Day.” After living with my parents for 4 years after getting laid off, I was finally able to resume life as an adult.
November 11, 2020, has become another kind of “Independence Day” for me. At the time, I was too in the thick of dealing with the pandemic, all that goes into owning your first home, and then a tiny fluff ball that did not come with any kind of manual or instructions. Everything was still shut down for the pandemic, so my only recourse was /r/puppy101.
I didn’t know it at that time that my entire brain chemistry shifted that first night when I slept on the floor of my room, and this tiny fluff ball came and curled into me and fell asleep.
As I try to write about my dog, it surprises me how little I seem to remember from those early days. Sure, my Instagram and Facebook Memories help a bit, as do some recent blog posts. They are snapshots, though. December 7, 2011 is a complete story.
It’s interesting how some things are easy to write. They just flow naturally. The words slot themselves easily, the picture is clear, and you can convey what you intend, while other things are a challenge to write. Which also fascinates me as I don’t seem to have trouble writing about my dog and our adventures when it comes to posting to Instagram. That flows naturally.
That is curious.
The way I write about my dog on Instagram vs the way I have written about my Canadian visa. The language is different. The subject matter is different.
But the theme is the same.
Makes me think of a braided essay. Perhaps a braided essay is the next version of my independence story.