The Ending of an Era
April 22, 2018
By Big Idea Facilitator, Yvonne DiVita
Everything comes to an end. Life teaches you that at an early age.
I am experiencing the ending of an era, right now. I am trying to grasp so many lessons, taught along the way.
As I embrace a new adventure in my life - my monumental move cross-country from CO to NY - I am also trying to grasp the ending of an era I thought I had taken care of, a year ago.
Oh life, why are you such a hard teacher? Why do you sling those arrows with pointed tips at us, so regularly? Why do you offer us sunshine and fat white clouds in the shape of dinosaurs, only to eventually rain on our parade? Why, life? Why do you do these things to us?
It's the "woe is me!" syndrome, I suppose. I am not crying out, "Woe is me!" since... the woe is of my own doing. Although, life could have offered some comfort and solace. And chose not to. Such is the way, with life.
Ten years ago, ten conferences ago, to be exact, four simple people met in a hotel meeting room in Columbus, Ohio and began outlining a dream. It was a tenuous dream. There were solid parts to it - colorful parts - brilliant parts - full of life, energy, color, design, and desire. There were foggy parts, also. Parts full of mystery. Parts that were gray and tenuous.
"We can do this," they said, full of enthusiasm.
"Have you ever done anything like this?" one of them asked the group.
Six eyeballs blinked...ahead of three shrugs. "Nope," they said.
"How hard can it be?" one of them said. "We've attended events like this. Why can't we do one?"
And so they did. Tom Collins, of Old Dog Learning and the 100+ Life these days (because we know you can teach an old dog new tricks, and the old dogs he's teaching are people), Caroline Golon of High Paw Media (she was Romeo the Cat in the day!), Chloe DiVita of Perceptive Presence (daughter to Tom and Yvonne, and the numbers gal, at the time), and myself, Big Idea Facilitator, Yvonne DiVita (also writer at scratchings and sniffings). These were the four. Crazy people but bursting with determination and full of wayward energy. Full of big ideas!
We launched something called BlogPaws in 2009. We held hands, we said the words out loud, "We can do this!" and it became real. Life began... in a small community called BlogPaws. A truly special community. There was and is none like it anywhere in the Universe. It's a community of pet bloggers.
I could no more mention the brilliant and amazing pet bloggers in this thriving community, than I could count the stars in the sky. And, like the stars in the sky, these devoted pet parents who write about all things pet, shine with a brilliance that puts the sun to shame.
This weekend, far from me, the 10th Celebration of BlogPaws happened. How was I not there? How was my heart able to stand the fact that I could not be there? How was the enormous empty space in my soul going to be filled... without the music, the laughter, the essence of all that is BlogPaws, when I was not there?
I cannot answer that yet.
Today, days after the close of the event, I see pictures posted everywhere. I see videos. I see comments and share my thoughts. I feel the wonder that is and was BlogPaws, and I lament that I was so stupid not to go.
But, I could not. There are many reasons for my absence... a founder who was not present at her community's 10th Anniversary Celebration. But, let's just say my pending move cross-country made it impossible. I struggle with health issues that don't show in my daily appearance to the world, and this move from the almost west coast, to the east coast, is taking all the energy I can muster.
And so, I participated from afar. I told myself it was enough. I told myself that... the community was an entity of its own, and did not need me there. Or Tom. I don't believe Caroline was there, either. Luckily, Chloe was there. She has been the energy and idea maker for several years now, and if we could not be there, no one better than Chloe could represent the community of BlogPaws.
What sadness there is in this dramatic change to a warm, welcoming group of pet bloggers from across the globe. Sadness that was bound to come, I think. Because, as in all things of purpose and planning, change is inevitable.
Change, in and of itself, is not bad. We all know that. We've endured change before. We pet bloggers who lavish so much love and attention on the creatures in our lives that our friends and family members look at us askance, sometimes. We know change. We know how hard it is to watch a beloved pet depart to the Rainbow Bridge. Our hearts never recover, no matter that we will surely adopt again, from a local shelter. At our house, we prefer senior pets.
And so, knowing how it breaks our hearts, again and again and again, this change that has come to BlogPaws, is not unbearable. It's disappointing to some (to me, for many reasons I cannot write about), and to pet bloggers who were with us from the beginning. Who loved the community that was BlogPaws. Who cherished the connections formed - the love and friendships that will endure, no matter what.
But what is change? What is the ending of an era - if not an invitation to move forward? It's a message from the Universe. To mourn, if you must, as we will, but then to get up and get on with it. Because, life does not stop here on this side of the cosmic cloud.
How you get on with it, is up to you. Life will not dictate what you must do. It may guide you, it will certainly open a door or a window and beckon you. And, if you are as crazy as four people who loved their pets unconditionally, way back in 2009, as crazy as they were to believe in not only themselves but the hundreds of pet bloggers they knew were out in the web craving connection, well then... I think you might do something amazing.
My amazing is here, in big ideas. With baby boomer women. Women like you, perhaps. I hope you'll join me. We can share what we've learned from the journey through BlogPaws, as it was. And we can embrace the journey of BlogPaws, as it will be. Because... know this... none of us owns BlogPaws. It's a bigger idea than any of us can own, individually.
Let it soar. Be part of the new journey. And, at the same time, create what is important to you.
Me, I'm nurturing big ideas - brilliant ideas - from baby boomer women and their friends. So, yes, it encompasses all age groups. We have so much to teach each other. Come, I was to learn from you.
And, bring your pets. We are totally pet friendly!
I love all of you!
@Caren, yes, I think so many feel as you do about BlogPaws. The BlogPaws four devoted pet bloggers started. But, change is inevitable. I know the future will be different for all of us, but I wonder if the new BlogPaws won't be as exciting and wonderful, in different ways...for different people. Tom and Chloe and I, and I will put Caroline here, also, are still devoted pet lovers and now we have such a strong, powerful community to tap into, with our joys and our sorrows, we feel honored to have grown BlogPaws into what it is. And, we are hopeful for the future of it.
@Dailydogtag - I was not there either. Kind of strange to have a 10th anniversary celebration without the founders, well, with only one (though Chloe, who was there, is the strongest and most wonderful of us! As her mom I can say that...)... and I agree that the being caught off guard is probably the issue. Still, I am hopeful, as I told Caren, that the new version of BlogPaws, yet to come, will surprise and delight us all.
Meantwhile, we must go on, yes? Time does not stop. So, onward and upward, as they say! And KUDOS to the BlogPaws of old.
Posted by: Yvonne DiVita | April 23, 2018 at 09:20 AM
I am crying as I am reading this. Out and out crying. BlogPaws has taught me more about blogging, it has taught me lessons (some of them harsh, hurtful lessons that were of my own making), but....BlogPaws brought me you and a number of other true friends that even when I might not "behave" at my best, still love me. I think now, after the past few years, you DO KNOW and BELIEVE when I say I owe BlogPaws, (not the BlogPaws of today), but the BlogPaws of the early years (primarily for me, 2009 through 2014) so much. So very, very much. I remember the day I found BlogPaws (when my cat blog started, also in 2009) and I shrieked with joy. I LEARNED SO MUCH. I LAUGHED SO MUCH. I ATE LOTS OF CHEESECAKE. OH THE CHEESECAKE. I made friends (I lost a few too, but if you lose them, they weren't really true friends, right?)....but I learned. I learned so much. I hurt so much (my own fault)....but the joyous memories far outweigh any bad. When I heard about what has happened I posted in the Cats With Blogs group that BlogPaws isn't really BlogPaws without the DiVitas (and I stand by that and add Carol Bryant to the mix, and Robbie). The BlogPaws of yore that I remember, cared about the PEOPLE and the PETS. Not the almighty dollar. I was one that was with you back in the early days. The days/memories I will cherish (and hopefully learn from) the rest of my life. I THANK YOU for all that you did for me, and for thousands of others. For all that you taught me. For putting up with me. For forgiving me, and for hopefully still loving me. It means the world to me to be following Lipsticking and to continue on a different journey......not a BlogPaws journey, but a journey of learning and loving just the same. I THANK YOU ALL, ALL OF YOU. FOR ALL THAT YOU HAVE DONE.
Posted by: Dakotasheltie | April 22, 2018 at 09:30 PM
Even though I had a ticket, I wasn't able to go the conference this year. I'm so sad that the most of the people who have been leaders of this wonderful community you started won't be leading it in the future. While I know that all of them are going on to amazing new things, I feel sad that such a big change is happening all at once. Even though change is inevitable, this one caught a lot of us off guard.
Posted by: Dailydogtag | April 22, 2018 at 06:46 PM