Which animal would you compare yourself to and why?
I am like a border collie in the sense that I am attentive, relational, and usually aware of what is happening around me. I tend to notice the dynamics in a room, sense when there is tension, and think about how people might be brought onto the same page. Even when I am quiet, I am usually paying attention.
Border collies are gatherers. They help bring scattered things together. That image resonates with me because much of my life has involved drawing people into community, helping groups function well, and making space for those who might otherwise remain at the edge. I care about connection and about helping people find their place.
A border collie’s energy is purposeful rather than random. That also feels true of me. I am not especially drawn to activity for its own sake, but to work that is meaningful: building something worthwhile, helping someone grow, solving problems, strengthening a culture, and creating conditions in which others can flourish.
Border collies are also responsive animals, attentive to subtle cues and closely connected to those around them. In my own life, I care about how people are going, not only about what they are producing. Morale, tone, trust, and the health of a community matter to me.
There is a caution in the comparison as well. A border collie can remain watchful even when it would be better to rest. It can take on too much responsibility for the whole field. I recognise that tendency in myself. When I care deeply about people and systems, it can be hard not to keep monitoring everything.
So the comparison fits because it describes something true about how I move through the world. I am alert to the edges, happiest with a purpose, and always trying to gather what is scattered into something more whole.
The Afterword 
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