When I started going around telling folks I was a writer, I took to heart philosopher Francis Bacon’s advice: “A man would do well to carry a pencil and paper in his pocket, and write down thoughts of the moment. Those that come unsought for are commonly the most valuable, and should be secured, because they seldom return.”
So, I’m never without a notebook and pencil in my shirt pocket. As a result, I’ve become a diligent daily diarist.
Recently I was reading a diary entry I made in May of 1988. In that month, Domino, the best dog who ever chose me as his man, passed away. Dog and man were inseparable for twelve years.