Conversation with our own resident Tropical Storm Fred

Welp, Tropical Storm Fred is currently scheduled to come right up our alley later tonight. I could talk to the storm in the same way that I once communicated with the BP oil leak, but instead, I’m going to talk with our very own dog Fred, who is his own sort of storm. Fred is a slow, lazy-seeming dog until the bouncy ball comes out. Then, he’s a force of nature. Fred is a low-to-the-ground basset hound mix that you wouldn’t expect to possess an ounce of athleticism or coordination. And, like many older basset hounds, Fred suffers from arthritis in his ankles. But when the ball launches into the field, Fred runs like a bullet, and he’s usually the one to catch the ball. When we’re at the pool, Fred is the only dog who will jump into the water to get the ball, and he will even dive off the three-foot-high planter with all the grace of a prima ballerina. Fred is living proof that you can’t judge a book by its cover. I had one question for Fred: How does he rise above his limitations? Here’s what he said: “I don’t think about limitations. I do what I want. I do what I love. I love to catch the ball, so I catch it. I might not be as fast or as smart or as agile as the other dogs. But I LOVE catching the ball. That’s why I always catch the ball. It has nothing to do with how fast I can run or anything else. The other dogs see my joy and move aside, because my joy and my passion are greater than their ability. I do what I love, and that’s all that matters.” I think that we can all learn from Fred. Find what gives us joy and ignites our passion, and then go after it. All those others who have the ability but lack the passion and the joy we possess will move aside. What gives you joy? What ignites your passion? Are you doing those things? If not, maybe you should…?