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DAVID BENTLEY'S WEEKLY COLUMN |
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TWO CATS
As I walked home, a sudden flurry of motion startled me. I didn't know whether to panic, stand still, or run for my life. Eventually, I realized two cats were chasing each other. They had come from opposite directions, met head-on, turned, and run past me to a nearby driveway. The two of them were sizing each other up, walking in a circle as if squaring off for a fight, but also keeping an eye on me. I stood still. The cats also stood still, alternating glances at each other and me while acting nonchalant. Since they weren't running away, I sat on a nearby bench. Then the cat which had been chased sat on her haunches while her chaser remained standing. They continued to stare each other down while stealing glances at me. After some minutes, the seated cat moved under the body of the car in the driveway and lay down in a ready-to-pounce position. The other cat walked haughtily to the far side of the driveway, lay down, and did that roll-from-side-to-side-on-the-back-while-stretching thing that cats do to appear disinterested. Still, the chased cat hid underneath the car. The disinterested cat finally got up and cockily sauntered across the street, sat down, and looked back at the fearful one. Then, in a very deliberate manner, he walked directly toward me, jumped up on the bench, and sniffed me. When I had been fully inspected, he jumped down and approached a puddle of water. Taking a long drink, he then leapt over the puddle and strolled off to seek another adventure. When I looked back across the street, the fearful one was still crouched under the car. I got up to walk home and realized I can follow the example of either cat. I can be fearful and take cover, or I can boldly explore the world and find all sorts of new adventures. Hopefully I'll do more of the latter.
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SAN JUAN ISLANDER © 2008 |
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