It has been two years since my divorce was final and about four years since I moved into an old house in a small quiet town. The solitude doesn’t bother me, nor do the long periods of silence. I prefer peace and quiet anyway. But, what does bother me is a life without purpose. I often feel like I am adrift. A lot of people tell me they wish they had my life. It is nice, but freedom without purpose raises more questions than answers them. I often ask myself, “What’s the point?”. I’m reminded of Thoreau when I think about wandering. He went into the woods to seek a simpler life but returned to civilization missing companionship. In the movie “Cast Away”, Tom Hank’s character befriended a volleyball and named him “Wilson”. I realize I’m not on a deserted Island, starving or delirious, so I think I can do better than befriending a volleyball. So, instead of a volleyball, I bought an English Bulldog and named her Charlie. She pees on the floor and bites on my toes. She wakes me up at all hours of the night and steals my shoes. She’s a four-legged menace to society, but she’s also adorable, cuddly, and did I mention adorable. She’s absolutely what I needed. I don’t wander as much as I used to. I’ve slowed down and stay home more. The decision to devote my life to caring for something other than myself has made me more focused. I even started writing again after a long hiatus. Finding writing again feels like finding a favorite pen that got lost in the sofa cushions. It feels good. It feels right. That’s the Charlie effect. Thank you Charlie.
The Heron 