Crossing a line?

Online learning is WONDERFUL. In all it's different formats: Recallers;  Puppy Peaks; Agility U. ;Fenzi Dog Sport Academy;  Building Blocks Academy; Handling 360. You are a dog sport person who wants to learn from the comfort of home? There's a way to do it.My view for many of my recent classes:

That said there are times I shake my head. One example? Charging to read a blog.
I get it. I hope this blog is special. But. In reading a blog there is no interaction. No chance for meaningful dialogue.

Sure the model that has me shaking my head works out to 91 cents a day. Less than a buck. Less than coffee. But is there a blog posted daily? A meaningful educational blog? I doubt it. If they are able to post three times a week, which is a pretty rigorous schedule to maintain for six months that works out to about $2.50 a read. Sigh.

Will there be lots of cute puppy pictures? Doubtlessly. I loved the Clean Run series that tracked a puppy's maturity and training over a year . I found it fascinating and educational and fun. I knew it was coming every month and it was often the first thing I'd read.

Will there be value in the blog? I suspect so. Will I be signing up? Nope. No sir. My blog started as a way to goal set and record keep a little. It's evolved into a platform on occasion and a connection to a broader community (thanks Steve for our Blog Days). It's introduced people to me and me to people  some of who I don't even know know me. (Funny aside - a very big name trainer(bnt), world athlete told me the other day she has known me longer than I have known her. She found this blog ages ago. Made me laugh and also made me wonder about the hundreds of people who read Agility Addict. I always suspected they were computer robots of some sort but they are real! Cool! Thanks so much. )

I feel like quite the curmudgeon today.

when I turned 30

I knew everything the year I was 30.

I had experienced death, too much death,  loss of tragic dimensions, a successful career in which people were priming me for leadership.  Animals of all types had come through our door and gone out our door. I had done enough local media that I was (rarely) randomly recognized by complete strangers. I had this thing called life well in hand. I was called as an expert on all kinds of odd things.

Then I turned 31 and somehow everything I knew as absolute slipped gently away. I realized as I meandered through my thirties that appreciating what I had was much more satisfying than fussing about what I didn't have. That loving the people around me was going to give me more gratification than longing for them to be different. Grasping that co-workers who weren't tagged for greatness still had lots to offer me (and our employer) was monumental and has changed my approach to everything.

I've realized that the animals I assumed were challenging because other people couldn't live with them were often pretty normal, and that there are animals and people with scars so deep and issues so gargantuan they are beyond my help. I've learned sometimes all I can offer is a safe place to lay a head and a listening ear.

I learned to reframe things that bug or upset me (from little to big it works: my car needed a boost - how lucky I am to have a car; someone I loved die - the grief is this profound because the love was that deep) and be grateful for the opportunities and challenges that continued to shadow me. Gratitude. It's where it's at people!

I wish I still had a magic wand for all situations for friends, students and animals.
It was a simple year.
It was a great year.

I am grateful for it but I am glad it was only a year.