I spend about an hour a day being my dog. Actually, I’m much more delightful than my dog, but that’s a whole other story.
Let me explain.
I have a Facebook page for my dog. She has about 3500 followers and a weekly reach of 7,000 to 12,000 views. It’s a fun page with a variety of light-hearted videos and articles. I’ve thought about ways to monetize it on several occasions but haven’t pursued that avenue too much. I have no presence on the page except for the odd reference my dog makes to Gramma (that’s the name she heard me referred to most growing up).
It takes about an hour each day to find appropriate material to post, which I schedule, and whenever anyone comments on a post, my dog responds in the best way a dog knows how:
It’s interesting how I take on the very best behaviours any dog could exhibit while I’m being my dog. Things that I might be less tolerant of on my own pages, I click “Like” and add her two hearts. Comments that prove the reader has not read the whole article get Liked with two hearts. Comments that give my dog or her entourage credit for great heroics in all corners of the world get Liked with two hearts. Regulars who consistently say nothing but tag their friends and children get Liked with two hearts. People whose grammar and spelling are atrocious get Liked with two hearts. Other animals like cats and bunnies who comment or share love get Liked with two hearts – even though, in reality, my dog would “Like” to chase them up a tree and wait at the bottom until dark.
In the about-four years my dog has had her page, we have received only 4 inappropriate comments (inappropriate to the mood of the page). Even those I have simply “Hidden” – the commenter and their friends can still see the comment but no one else can.
In short, I am a really nice, tolerant, patient, adaptive, friendly, loving person when I am being my dog. I’d love to say that I am all those things when I am being Agnes too, but there’s a chance a friend might read this post and comment with the truth so I’ll stay honest. I do try be all those things as Agnes, and I think that I usually present as all those things, especially on business pages… but I’ll admit to the odd eye roll, and the occasional “really?” when interacting or receiving feedback on my social media.
I think my only message here is to think about who you can be to be the very best version of yourself possible. For me, I’m trying to be more like me-as-a-dog.
Speaking of whom, this is Nox: