What is Dances with Corgis

Dances with Corgis is a site that follows my journey as I attempt to live with the Blazeman spirit. During my training for the Louisville Ironman triathlon, I was deeply inspired by Ironman Jon Blais, who battled ALS and wrote this incredible piece which is very dear to my heart:

Live more than your neighbors.
Unleash yourself upon the world and go places.
Go now. Giggle, no, Laugh. No…stay out past dark
And bark at the moon like the wild dog that you are.

Understand that this is not a dress rehearsal.
This is it. Your life.

Face your fears and live your dreams. Take it all in.
Yes, every chance you get. Come close.
And by all means, whatever you do, get it on film.

It doesn’t interest me what you do for a living. I want to know what you ache for.

It doesn’t interest me how old you are. I want to know if you are willing to risk looking like a fool for love, for your dreams, for the adventure of being alive.

I want to know if you can live with failure, yours and mine, and still shout at the edges of a lake, river, or mountain, “Yes! I am a Warrior Poet!”

It doesn’t interest me to know where you live, or how much money you have, I want to know if you can get up after a night of grief and despair, weary and bruised to the bone, and do what needs to be done for someone you love.

It doesn’t interest me if the story you’re telling is true. I want to know if you can disappoint another to be true to yourself, if you can bear the accusation of betrayal and not betray your own soul.

I want to know if you can be faithful and trustworthy. I want to know if you can see beauty even when it is not there everyday, and if you can source your life from its presence.

I want to know if you can be alone with yourself and truly like the company you keep in the empty moments of your life.

And still remember me, your friend.
-The Blazeman 1971-2007

One thing I learned from my first year of training for triathlons is all the racing and effort isn’t worth it if you aren’t happy on the inside. I kept an online training blog which evolved as I dealt with other challenges in my life- how to get out of a bad relationship, how to find a fulfilling career, and how to appreciate small things in life, among others. On some respects it was very tempting to gloss it all over, only write the race results and happy accomplishments, but really, what would be the point of that? As Blazeman teaches us, if we can face down fears and find strength within and love ourselves, life can be an incredible joy.

Here on Dances With Corgis, you will find words, photos, and other interesting tidbits that I come across. It will be constantly evolving and changing as I try to reach new goals. I invite you along for the ride and hope you find inspiration and encouragement to try new things. Hopefully we can get spark each other’s curiosity, get those synapses firing, and challenge ourselves to reach new heights. Here is to life as a Warrior Poet!