I just couldn’t be that guy any longer. It was all an act. As an organization development specialist for nearly 30 years, I was supposed to be doing work powered by my authenticity as a way of modeling authenticity. Over those 30 years, I began to wake up to the reality that people wanted me to authentically act like someone I wasn’t.
In late 2019, six years after being diagnosed with chronic lyphocytic lymphoma (CLL), my doctors in Boston, where I was working, became aware of the presence of what they were calling “COVID-19” in the community. Unfortunately, my immune system cancer strikes directly at the parts of a certain type of cell that would, in most people, begin to adapt to this never-before seen virus. Not mine. Mine would forever stay blithely ignorant of the presence of COVID-19 until it would be too late. I started working remotely before anyone else in my 10,000 person organization.
I started to see my priorities more clearly than I had ever seen them before. I didn’t want to waste my time being inauthentic over ZOOM. I struggled to hang on, then I quit in March of 2022, uncertain of what was to be next. I knew photography would be a part of it.
I was at a friend’s house shortly before leaving my job.. I had all my photography gear at her house to practice taking portraits when she announced that she was going to take her dog for a walk at the golf course that doubles as a dog park and cross-country ski haven in winter. An idea hit me! I would bring my photography gear (camera, flash units, soft boxes, light stands) and set up at the entrance to take portraits of dogs. Needless to say, she thought I was crazy, but she allowed me to load the gear into her Prius and off we went. I setup right at the entrance and before everything was ready, the first person asked what I was doing. I told her I was practicing my photography skills by taking pictures of dogs and that I would eventually post the pictures online for free and they could download them. She excitedly asked if I could take a picture of her dog. Before I knew it, a line of people with their dogs had cued up next to me. I took picture after picture. Over the next month, I learned Adobe Lightroom and processed the pictures, posting them as promised. In early April, I repeated the process at the Saratoga Springs Dog Park. Same excitement.
My plan, now, is to build out this site and hope people will purchase photos and laser engravings (and even donate when I add the donate button) and I’ll have enough resources to begin national travel in the Spring, or earlier, in a southerly direction if things go well.
I love dog parks! I love learning about dog behavior and I’m fascinated by the way in which small communities (of the human type) form in each one. People aren’t just letting their dogs “play it out.” They’re forging relationships with others. They know one another and they know one another’s names. When I return a few times, they know me, too, and I feel welcomed by both the people and the dogs. If I’ve already been to your dog park, thank you for your kindness. If I haven’t been to your park yet (which is probably the case!), don’t be surprised if one day you pull up and a space is taken by a blue Town & Country minivan with the “Barkland” license plate. That’ll be me and I’ll be honored to take your dog’s picture. The guy who takes that picture will be his authentic self, Personally, I like hanging out with the guy on the right. That version of me doesn’t need to crinkle his eyebrows. Also, he’s allowed to smile and even laugh.
With your help, I’ll find ways to monetize this site so I can keep doing it; keep being me. I also make live-edge river tables in case you know anyone who wants to commission one or purchase one of my pre-designed models.
Woof!
Glenn