My copy of Good Bird magazine for Summer 2008 just came - and there was an article by ME! I enjoy writing; I always have. I wrote my first book about 5 years ago and it was very satisfying - and very taxing. And now, Good Bird magazine has accepted and printed my first magazine article!
The exciting thing is that I feel like it is an acknowledgement that I am making progress in my training. I always feel that way when the editor of the ClickerTraining.Com newsletter finds one of my blog posts interesting enough to note in the newsletter. I feel like people farther along than I see me making progress and moving in the right direction. Because the editor of Good Bird magazine (Barbara Heidenreich, who I respct highly as a professional animal trainer) felt that it was worth sharing with her readership, I feel like I have made some progress in my understanding of R+ ... and in my writing skills.
It doesn't make me "somebody", but it is like getting an A+ on an essay exam showing that my instructor felt that I have an understanding of the subject matter. I want to have a real understanding of the subject matter and I want to be able to communicate the subject matter to others. And since my instructors were not the ones giving the grades, it is really my instructors who were being evaluated on whether they had taught me correctly.
So, Karen, Susan, Kelly, and Barbara - Thank you! I will try to keep being a good student - you are wonderful instructors!
Bob
