Marley and Me
Tuesday, June 03, 2008
Schlubs and their dreams
I'm invited to give talks around the country, sometimes to aspiring writers. I suspect part of the reason I get many of these invitations is because I'm an example of someone who was just a guy who chased a dream and it ended up coming true against all odds.
For the better part of two decades I dreamed of someday writing a book. I kept looking for the right topics, and they were always outside of myself. While on newspaper reporting assignments, I often asked myself, "Is this one the book?" But it never was; never felt right. Then gradually, over months and years of Marley's life, I came to realize that the story I was meant to tell, the one inside straining to get out, was lying right at my feet. Chewing off my shoelaces. It wasn't just the story of our crazy, colorful dog, though he clearly was central to the telling. It really was the story of our family, a family in the making, and the journey we made to discover what really matters in life.
So I wrote the book, having no idea if anyone would want to read my personal story. If you're on this site, you probably know the rest of the story: 76 weeks on The New York Times nonfiction bestseller list in hardcover, 23 of those weeks at #1. Since coming out in paperback on March 11, Marley & Me has hovered in the top 10 on the Times' paperback bestseller list (this week at #4).
And so I get these invitations. "Tell us about how your dream came true for you..." Especially at the appearances for students and young writers, my talk might as well be titled, "Hey, if this schlub could do it, so can you."
This is a long way of saying that I wanted to share a recent USA Today story about another regular schlub who chased a dream and watched it come true. Another head-scratching example that fantasy in a blink can become reality. One day you're working at Home Depot, wearing the orange apron, the next, well.... you gotta read the story.
http://www.usatoday.com/life/music/news/2008-05-01-boston_N.htm
posted by John Grogan at 5:17 AM
 
14 Comments:
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Reading that story makes me feel so good. Unless you choose to make it so, there is no such thing as an ordinary day.
Dear Mr. Grogan,
First I would like to say that I loved "Marley and Me". The stories
from Marley's youth and adulthood were hilarious and the last few
chapters about how he got sicker and sicker had me sobbing
uncontrollably. I have an 8 year old German Shepherd mix her name is
Amber, she is very sweet and calm and just like Marley she has a huge
heart and her loyalty knows no limits. Your book taught me to cherish every moment with her because our time together is so limited. However, there are two things that really bothered me about the end of the book and I felt that I had to express my feelings about it because
it really broke my heart.
OK, so here it is: If as you say you knew that Marley's life was
coming to an end then why did you decide to go on vacation and leave
Marley at the kennel where he got sick and almost died just few months before? Disneyland is always going to be there and Marley wasn't. Couldn't you postpone the trip? I actually said it aloud to myself while reading the book "No! don't leave him!" Another question is that since you received a phone call you knew something was wrong and he was feeling unwell, why did you wait until the next day to get him from the kennel?
I hope you will answer my questions because I am so heartbroken over
this that I can't get it out of my head.
Again, thank you for writing such a great book and sharing Marley's
story with the world.
Sincerely,
Marzena Sienkiewicz
Dear John, I just finished reading Marley and Me - great book, great dog. Please know that Marley lives on in Virginia, in the form of Pete, an American Bulldog/Lab mix. Stupid, ADHD, bull-in-a-china-shop mentality, he is Marley all over. I kept nodding my head and laughing, saying, "Yup, that's Pete!" So Marley still enjoyed crashing through the woods at breakneck speed, belly-flopping in the river out back. Thanks for sharing his story.
Karen
I was introduced to your book this morning by one of my blog friends. Yesterday my family had to put our 14 year old dog down. One of the worst days ever. My reader left me a comment and said I might enjoy your book. I am not sure if I am ready to read it -- I am still a jumble of emotions. I will go and pick it up today but it may be a few weeks until I get the nerve up to actually read it. There is nothing like the love of a good dog!
Hi John,
I met you at the "Hero Dog Obedience" scene in Miami. I have the Dobie named Leissl.
Today, I reached a dream of mine, too. I wrote a personal essay of my experience as an extra in the Marley and Me movie, and it was published. The link is in my Doberblog at www.dobermannpinscher.org. It's the second entry of June 4th entitled Marley and Us: Clicker Training on the Movie Set. I also wrote several Marley and Me related blog entries, and they can be found through the search engine on my site.
I admire your tenacity and heart to hang in there with Marley to the end and write his story to the end. :-) I wanted you to know the Marley and Me filming experience is one of the most exciting I've lived, and to thank you for providing the venue to live out one of my dreams.
Helen
---
Every dog should have a tail.
Hello John,
I am on the phone with my 90 year old gorgeous mother who is waiting for to go into surgery for a pacemaker - and we are passing the time! Your name came up and she told me about an article you wrote about your family in the Sun Sentinel and was wondering if your family knew her family in Limerick, Ireland the same town her family came from. I told her that I would write to you on the internet - she was thrilled - and that perhaps we may get a response. Of course, she wanted me to ask you if you knew Margaret Mary and Kathleen Grogan. So now she is going into surgery and all she has on her mind is "do you think we will hear back from John Grogan?" I love her she is the best. So that's my story, Mom's name is Mary Faughnan. Thank you for listening and making a special woman very happy. All the very best to you and your family
I am so excited to see such a touching book on the big screen. It was such a joy to read your words, laughing and crying all the way from cover to cover. With such a wonderful compass to guide it, I am sure the movie will be just as much fun! Congratulations on your well-deserved success, and thank you for the gift of your poignant words. I am such a fan!
I'm currently drying my eyes after finishing reading Marley and Me. This very touching story reminds me of several dogs I've had throughout my life.. but mostly my beloved black lab we called Sabbath. My husband and I went to pick him up when our children were babies themselves. We had alot of the same problems with our lab but found him to be a great surrogate parent for our children when we weren't watching closely enough!
Although the loss I suffered happened 10 years ago... the tears surfaced again and came pouring out several times while reading this book. Some were tears from laughter.. some were tears from pain...
Thank you SO much for reminding us all what a great love can be shared between man (or woman..) and a wonderful (but cumbersome...) dog!
I just finished the book today, because I firmly believe in reading the book before seeing the movie! What a beautiful, touching story. I cried at the end, knowing what it is like to say goodbye to a beloved family dog. I had to force myself to put the book down each night so I could get a decent night's sleep! I will recommend this to my students (I am an English teacher in the Philadelphia School District). Congratulations on a job well done! My 8-year-old son wants to read Marley.
Olá Jonn!
Sou Vagner do Brasil e gostei muito de sua história e chorei muito com ela, me fez ver que pessoas simples podem ser muito mais que heróis. O Marley era um herói que vai ficar em meu coração, ele fez que eu sentisse um vazio dentro de mim.
Parabéns pelo seu trabalho, o engraçado que eu me senti um amigo intima da família e para você ver que o Marley atravessou os 4 cantos da terra e fez todos chorar!
Essa comunidade no ORKUT é em homenagem ao grande e eterno Marley!
http://www.orkut.com/Community.aspx?cmm=20342104
TRADUÇÃO EM INGLES
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IN ENGLISH TRANSLATION
Jonn Hello!
Vagner from Brazil and I liked much of its history and cried a lot with it, made me aware that people may simply be that much more heroes. The Marley was a hero who vai stay in my heart, he made that I feel a void inside me.
Congratulations for your work, the fun that I felt an intimate friend of the family and you see that Marley crossed the 4 corners of the earth and made all cry!
This community in ORKUT is in honor of the great and eternal Marley!
http://www.orkut.com/Community.aspx?cmm=20342104
John, congratulations for your excellente book "Marley and Me".
I cried and laugh a lot with your stories and reminded me that my dog will die some day (he is 12 years old now) and I know i will be sad, but he (like Marley is for you) will live forever in my heart.
Kisses!!
Fernanda - Rio de Janeiro - Brasil
Dear John,
I loved your story of Marley and Me.I cried when Troubles started happening to Marley and when he died i wept.Tahnk you for giving me that story now i will cherish my dog more.
Mr. Grogan
Thank you and Marley (and your lovely wife and family) for all the entertainment from your book "Marley and Me". Good Stuff!
As a former Labrador Retreiver owner, I reminisced about my lab traveling the same growing pains and challenges as yourself with Marley. I am an outdoorsman and hunter and my lab "Lady" was always with me. She was an exceptional retriever and also pointed birds. But most of all, she became a loving pet and member of "our" family (my wife and two sons). Normally, I read my outdoors magazines and trade publications and haven't much time for books. The book was recommende reading and to my surprise, I discovered this book to be an exceptional piece of entertainment that I couldn't put down.
Again, great stuff!
A new fan...
Chester Choncek
Kittanning, PA 16201
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