Gratitude Attitude

Celebrating one year of pleasant surprises on my Substack journey

Photo by Philipp Aleev on Pexels

The ever-wise marketer, Dan Blank, extolled Substack as the place for writers in his Instagram feed two years ago. What the heck is Substack? Other than Dan, I knew of no one dabbling on the platform, espousing it’s virtues. Dan’s delicate persuasiveness, not unlike my pets’ subtle pleading before a meal, piqued my interest. I took his introductory webinar with 25 other curious cats. I didn’t dive in at Dan’s urging, rather I cautiously dipped my right foot, toe by toe, then my left.

What was my hesitation? Too many years of prior investment – time, money, emotion – in social media for another endeavor before I took a much-needed hiatus from the scroll. Four glorious years without worry over content and learning and liking and commenting, oh my. But then I was called to write again. Rather, I had written a manuscript I wished to birth. It was time to face the social media music or the pot.

This time I entered the hubbub with renewed focus. If I was going to do it, there had to be a unicorn. No more amassing of likes from curious, but casual, onlookers. I wanted friends, relationships, a cohort of mini mes. Relationships built through the wild west of unfiltered humanity? Don’t tell my kids!  

I took a “class” in Instagram best practices, paying little heed until the part about “DM.” As a mother and a wife, I wasn’t sure if the acronym leaned poopy or kinky. Then I learned it was more like an echo - send a thoughtful comment and watch the reach return. It turns out I wasn’t the only one who wanted more communion from the portable device that’s more than a phone.

I tried my luck on Substack. Like. Comment. Message. I soon knew more about people than their little round circle and three lines of story. I sought more.

I planned a meet-and-greet for Substack writers near me. I booked a room big enough for 30. Five came. Perfect. The room had a projector and screen. My computer was ready. We shared our Substack stories, complete with visual aids. Two hours flew. We needed more.

We met again under the shade of a tree-lined park, the blue hulk of the Guthrie Theater to the west, the mighty Mississippi River to the north. Seven people lounged on camp chairs, sharing seasoned appetizers and layered stories. I learned they enjoyed the myriad of cat and dog photos filling the frames in Notes. I launched PetStack on the wings of their enthusiasm.

One of those friends later strolled beside me through throngs of car buffs at the History Cruisers car show and toured a healing sanctuary nestled in wooded ravines. Another sipped black coffee between bouts of instruction on video production. I sipped a decaf soy latte and took notes.

Handfuls of Substack friends leaned into my plea for items to donate to a non-profit fundraiser. Not only did they provide the goods, they supported the event through their social media channels—threads reaching across platforms, weaving a virtual tapestry of support.

For all the bad on the internet, Substack has proven that one can harvest hope when seeds are carefully planted and tended. To all my new Substack friends, readers, subscribers, and recommenders, thank you nurturing my growth. You’re the best.

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NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS

I was recently granted a writer’s dream through our local news service to produce a monthly feature about the “real dogs” of our community, elevating the four-legged creatures who know our neighborhoods best. First up is Loki – the dog who won the lottery the day his family went looking for a kitten but found him.  The Real Dogs of the Quad Press: Meet Loki

A PLACE FOR ALL PETS, BIG AND SMALL

This month’s PetStack celebrates three men whose furry friends brought out their best. Read about a human-canine team that helps lost dogs find their way home, a writer of all things feline and another who’s gone to the dogs. Each writer wishing to leave readers with smiles.

HOLIDAY CHEER SAFE FOR KIDS AND PETS

Little humans and four-legged friends, both part of the animal kingdom and with similar biological systems, are often impacted by toxins found in hundreds of flowers and houseplants. Before you send a bouquet or buy one to decorate your home, brush up on the good versus the bad so you can make a beautiful and safe selection.

IN MY SPARE TIME

I believe in the power of human ingenuity to solve problems as immense as the one confounding animal shelters today. It is why I dove head first into supporting the Who Will Let The Dogs Out crowd funding campaign. Their/our goal – to get a book of the same name into the hands of every shelter and shelter supporter who wants one. The book, written by co-founder Cara Achterberg, was born of lessons learned from visiting 150 rural animal shelters and rescues and interviewing hundreds of staff, board members, volunteers, veterinarians, and community members. Buy a book for yourself. Buy a book to have shipped to a shelter!

FOSTER UPDATE

Snickers has been with me four weeks. Still shy or shut down, I haven’t decided which, he has yet to emerge from his carrier on his own. But where there’s progress, there’s hope. I find him lounging closer and closer to the open carrier door when I’m in the room. Midnight, meanwhile, makes up for all the energy Snickers doesn’t expend. We are trying to manage his hyperthyroidism. Until we find the magic level of medication, he’s a non-stop eater in constant motion.

Snickers

Cindy and resident cat, Checkers, by Jennifer Grace Portraits