A Faithful Reader sent an e-mail: “I mostly like your ideas and writing, but don’t understand why you persist in writing about ‘dawgs.’ Why not ‘dogs’? I also wonder why it is you don’t stick with one theme like other columnists. I’m glad you don’t write about religion or politics, but why not?”

Fair questions. About the religion and politics themes, the answers are simple. All I know about current politics I glean from the G-T for local coverage. For the rest of the world, I touch in with half an hour of commercial TV news (gag), www.truthout.org and www.democracynow.org. I am usually left so impotently outraged I have nothing useful to write. Once in a while, though, everything goes black and I have been known to snipe and gripe.

Religion is endlessly interesting in its complexity of metaphor, myth, practice and influence, but I am less informed than those who take it as their theme.

Why don’t I stick with a single or few themes? Simple. Don’t want to. A lot of things interest me and I’ve been indulged. I’m always hungry for suggestions or questions, witness this piece and my blog: www.peak.org/ ~pegmayo/

Writing done within a narrow theme is in danger of becoming yawn-invoking. Check out Mona Charen, John Rosemond or Bill O’Reilly if repetition is what turns you on.

Bill Barker, to be found in the Outdoors section of the G-T on Saturdays, escapes that particular sink hole. He takes all the open air and those he loves as his subjects, along with the responsibility of educating city-slickers of both the dangers and pleasures involved in leaving the pavement.

Jan Roberts-Dominguez gives nourishment and pleasure in her broadly food-related pieces, illustrated with her own gorgeous watercolors. Nothing narrow about her themes or attitude, either.

Pat Wray seems a wild card. I suspect him of rowdy, icon-breaking thoughts. However, he displays more fatherly challenge than a dukes-up or ever-so-cute attitude. I’m glad he’s no Dave Barry. He’s grown-up.

One of my hobby horses is saying accurately what I mean. I stay away from “golden-ager” or “senior” when what I mean is “old.” It is a lonely struggle to raise the word “old” to respectability unless you’re talking about a vintage automobile or bottle of wine. Euphemisms are ways to sugarcoat real, acidic meaning by dipping the black-widow word in caramel.

When a mealy-mouthed word is used, it is usually because the speaker-writer is trying to be gentle, tactful and avoid discussing a liability or disfigurement. I see no reason why “old” need imply “dull-wittedness,” “disability” or “petrifaction.” It might as well describe curious, individualistic, informed, feisty or entertaining, as in any other time of life.

As for “dawgs” instead of “dogs.” That’s a little more complicated. A dawg is a subset of dogs, as a gilded poodle or a raffish Lab are subsets. What’s hard about that?

In using the term “dawgs,” I am distinguishing between classes of canines. Dogs are basic parts of many people’s lives. Family. Friends. Workers. Comforters. Protectors. We shake our heads in sad recognition that some folks simply are under-equipped to appreciate them. A pity. I’m that way about sports and finance.

A dawg, in my world, is as specific a creature as a wolfhound or a wrizbrittle cocachow: a particular class of dog. A dawg in the country is an explorer, rarely feeling the restrictions of a leash. A dawg teaches sensuality in a raw form: retrieved beaver skulls, deep digging for moles, porcupine encounters, rat murder and a characteristic fragrance.

A dawg is as much politician as best friend. Dawg politics at our house involves such ploys as Gingersnap putting Mah Dawg outside on wet days. She will suddenly burst into exciting “There’s a cougar out there” barking. Mah, the reflexive hunter, will rush outdoors ready to kill or be killed. Ginger meanwhile has stolen the warm spot, under the bed lamp, as her own. That’s dawg politics.

Thanks, Faithful Reader, for your questions. I hope others follow your example.

Peg Elliott Mayo invites comment at uncommonideas@rivervoices.com. She writes from the Coast Range and is an author and mentor.