Marshall Ramsey

Pip the dog has two speeds: Supersonic and asleep. Right now, she’s asleep. Her little brown body is curled up in a tight ball, keeping the night’s demons safely at bay.

Pip is a peculiar little dog, much like her mother Twinkie. The wife of the breeder warned us about Twinkie.  Apparently Pip’s mom has a mind of her own and can be a bit, let me say this delicately, bratty. Well, the apple didn’t fall far from the tree. Twinkie’s clone chews up books, shoes, attacks my boys’ legs and the vacuum cleaner. She barks at brooms, squirrels and cars. (Her bark will make your ears bleed.)  She thinks she is a hat when she sits on my son’s head.Her coat is soft and oily, not wiry like most Border Terriers.  And like her mother, she likes to climb into the dishwasher to try to lick the plates.

Pip is our third Border Terrier.  She’s definitely the most unique.

She’ll be nine-months old tomorrow.  And for the past nine months she has done an admirable job healing the gaping wound left by our losses of Molly and Banjo. Pip was born almost to the minute that Banjo died.  As they crossed paths on the Rainbow Bridge, some of the old lug ended up in Pip. She hates the dogs next door and patrols the yard in the same way. But she’s also very much her own dog. She can be a bit aloof at times. Banjo wanted always be next to you. Pip will lay down across the room. Yet, she snuggles next to me when I sleep.  She knows when be affectionate. She’ll give you all her heart — but only on her terms.

I find her loving, playful and interesting. She’s a good listener and loves to play.

You really can’t ask much more from a dog.

Breaking new ground is stressful. Exploring can cause all kinds of anxiety. Imagine taking a journey without  guideposts or roadmaps. And you can’t use your smartphone to get directions.  Your compass just spins and spins and spins. Now imagine charting a new career course during uncertain frightening times. I’ve always envied my friends who are doctors, lawyers and accountants. While their career paths are VERY difficult, they are known. Certain. Charted.  On paper. My career has been a series of probes into the fog. There never has been a how-to guide for how to become an editorial cartoonist. To become one is a bizarre mixture of hard work + chance.  And I’ll admit, I’ve been very lucky to this point.  Chance has smiled gracefully on me. I’ve always seemed to find my way.

In the past 20 years, I’ve gone from being a Janitor to Advertising Artist to Creative Director to Creative Director to Editorial Cartoonist. It is a very analog journey with fits and stops. I’ve made mistakes and more mistakes. I’ve taken chances and I’ve turned down good opportunities.  I’ve fumbled in the dark. My effort has been like ingredients in a some kind of funky career stew.  Thankfully, it has turned out well. But it’s still evolving. And changing daily.  The stew is still worth making.

I spoke to a very good friend who is a fantastic cartoonist on Saturday. He’s also one of the wisest people I know.  His career path has been equally as bumpy as mine; he has been fired a couple of times and has made some spectacular leaps of faith.  He now has his dream job at a dream newspaper. But these are tough times for the newspaper industry.  Vast cuts are blowing across the media landscape, and changing it daily.  So my friend realizes his dream job is as uncertain as my career has been.

We discussed the future, our next steps and what we should do to chart a new path. Like the explorers Columbus, Desoto and Magellan, we are traveling into uncertain waters. But like those globetrotters, we have to start with courage.  Courage to take risks. Courage to try new things. Courage to cut lose things that we love — but don’t work.  My friend will land on his feet. His talent will continue to carry him far. And as long as I continue to try new things and realize that experiments never fail, I’ll land on mine, too. There is always room for good content. I will continue to draw cartoons in some capacity.

Breaking new ground is stressful. Exploring always is. But  I wouldn’t trade my crazy career for any other life or career in the world. Even though I don’t always know how I’ll get there, I know where I’m going. And while the journey can be uncertain at times, that journey is the ultimate reward.