@Dana Guess what? I SAW it!
I read it and was typing my reply (including the "search for a barkless dog" one) and when I then tried to "like" the post, it was said to be "inaccessible" (meaning you were probably deleting it).
And also guess what? It wasn't really as sad as you think. It was fine. You are a delight.
And triple also guess what??? I really DO wonder if somewhere there IS a barkless dog - a dog that had a vocal cord condition, or a breed that rarely barks, or barks very low - and if that pup and you are just waiting to find each other.
There is a reason I called myself "Path Maker" when I came on here. I kind of dug that name up on the spur of the moment ('cause I wasn't going to call myself "My Ears Are Driving Me Fucking Nuts and Please Pass Me the Bowl of Pink Noise"
!!!).
I came up with it and then realized it's because it's true: it's something I've always kind of done my whole life: it's about optimism, the REAL beautiful healthy kind. It's because I believe that this world is all stories, and every human is a story, and we get, in a big way, the chance to participate in and write that story.
Which is why, if, just ... IF ... there is a barkless dog to be searched out somewhere ... well, then, "Person with Hyperacusis Adopts Barkless Dog" makes an awesome tale! Anyway, it's just a warm and furry thought ...
Having my animals has essentially million-folded the joy factor in my life ...
Okay, I'm off to make some paths now, in the cleaning of my basement. Very sloooooow, dusty paths, indeed.