The news you never want or expect

Good evening,

Today’s digest is a bit late because it’s been one of those days. Our dog went into the vet this morning, after developing a limp in her leg. An hour or two later and I get a phone call to say she’s got bone cancer.

Our family dog, aged five-and-a-bit and a rescue from the RSPCA in Preston, is named Alma. She’s a Rottweiler Bull Lurcher. A right mongrel. And a loveable boisterous thing.

My main thought was how the heck am I going to tell this news to my daughter, aged nine. My two-and-a-bit-year-old Sid was none the wiser, thankfully. Although he did give Alma a big hug as he picked her up from the vets and ran around shouting ‘MY DOGGY’ at the top of his voice making everyone in the vets chuckle.

Alma means ‘to lift the spirits’ or ‘soul’ in Spanish. We got her as a puppy, she was part of a litter of nine(!) in Spring 2021. She bounded into our lives in the wake of my father’s death, to cancer, and the death of our long-serving Staffie, Bruno, and she certainly cheered us all up (as well as driving me mad during toilet training and nibbling my feet while I was on increasingly important video calls working at Reach at the time). Those reading this newsletter will remember an audience acceleration project was named Alma - it was after her I’m not ashamed to admit and was a much better name than many of the other projects I worked on (Melvin being one of the worst). Sometimes the answer is staring you literally in the face for what to call something.

She also gave her name to the consultancy I co-founded after leaving Reach in summer 2023. In part because Luke and Shirah could not come up with anything better (believe me, they tried).

Alma’s fierce, loyal, protective, energetic and has been a constant companion as I’ve navigated the last five or so years. The walks, a chance to catch a breath amid news cycles, video calls, project plans and more, are always welcome.

I was not a dog lover growing up, but I’ve learned to love the four-legged companion.

She has little to offer when it comes to Journalism Innovation. But I do think, talking your ideas through with a pet is not a sign of madness, but good for the soul.

We’ve made no firm decisions on what the future holds for Alma, there are options but it is clear the cancer is advanced and whatever we decide there will not be long left.

So I guess, for today’s newsletter, if you’ve got that big idea - talk it through with someone today. Because you never know what tomorrow will hold. This has been the most Wednesday of Wednesdays.

Normal service resumes in the digest next week.

Thanks for reading.

Keep going.

Ed

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