Dear dog mushing...

I apologize in advance for this rambling mess of thoughts. The last few weeks have been tough. For many the last year has been rough. No matter where you fall on any number of subjects - at least in the US - things have been tough for so many. Emotions are running high. There's emotional burnout happening to hundreds if not thousands of people.

No matter what or why... it's come for us all. 

The last few weeks has been hard for me. My heart has been heavy. I've felt guilty that because of where I live I have the privelege of being physically removed from most of the turmoil. I must not be alone because last week I had many community members (actually the last month or so not just last week) come into where I work and just immediately say ugly, hurtful, angry things. Not a thing to trigger it, it was like people were just walking around raging.

And I was tired. I was spent. I was apathetic.

But because of this sport that I have been on the outskirts of my entire life because of a family committment to a legendary race, neighbors with recreational teams, a college job that had me rubbing elbows with greats (and future greats) in the sport.... I got into this weird fangirl thing of talking about the sport - rambling, just like now, really - online to anyone who would listen. Socials and then blogging. It got me a job for a while, and when that job dried up I missed it and came back to it on my own.

I'm not a musher, never claimed to be and certainly never tried to be. But I'm part of this community. There are different levels to it, sure, but this niche community is so diverse on so many levels. And we each bring something to the table.

That's why when the world is in chaos like it's felt like these last few years, I've at least had the community to nerd out about sled dog races. 

And then this weekend happened. A perfect storm in the world as well in teh sport of dog mushing. Four major races in one weekend is insane. It was impossible to keep up. There was so much excitement. I just wasn't feeling it leading up to it. The only reason I even cared to get blog posts up ahead of the race is I feel an obligation to all of you who take the time to read the blog. It is insane to me that I'm not just talking out into a void and that people don't just expect these posts but they ask for them! It is humbling every stinking time that is brought to my attention. 

So thank you, dog mushing. You gave me a reason to stop doom-scrolling. You got me out of my thoughts. My frustrations. My fear. Living in that 24/7 is not healthy for anyone. Self-care is the only way to combat burn-out of anykind - especially emotional burnout. Apathy is a cancer of the soul. 

The races this weekend were a break that was desperately needed. Reconnecting with fans all over the globe who, like me, love the dogs and the people who run them. Reconnecting with musher "pit crews" who love to give out little tidbits. To mushers who sat the races out but were excited and reached out to chat or to vent or whatever.

This community is like many niche communities, but the diversity means it's anything but boring or predictable. And for that I am thankful - because I've learned and grown so much through this community.

But this is really a thank you for this weekend. This weekend that was sheer chaos of information. Chaos of dogs screaming to GO GO GO! Chaos of trying to keep mushers and races and hashtags straight (which I failed at several times). Chaos of no sleep (good training for tracker watching in March). 

Thank you, dog mushing. For a little while you let me shut all the noise out and to just FEEL again.

Thank you (but please, let's keep these four race weekends to a very low minimum).