I am a girl obsessed. Yesterday my roommate and I made the
commitment of bringing home two gorgeous kittens, Olive and Pandora
(Panda). Already we have spend hours
dangling strings for them, watching them tumble over one another and boldly
exploring the house. They are the sweetest creatures and I fail to believe that
I could ever lose my adoration for them.
One thing about them that I have found myself enjoying is
the way our kittens approach the world. Everything is new and exciting to Olive
and Panda. The world is their oyster and each doorway reveals a whole new world
to be discovered. Furthermore for these two kittens the land beyond the front
door isn’t to be feared but it holds so much promise for excitement and new
experiences. Even though both Panda and Olive have had rough times in their
short lives, both fighting equally difficult paths to find themselves at the
RSPCA for adoption, they are both full of curiosity, love and adventure.
Despite the wrong that has been done to them by other people and animals they
have taken us into their hearts and are already showing a full capacity for
love and forgiveness.
Some will say “small things amuse small minds” but I admire
Panda’s ability to spend hours playing with a piece of al-foil that I rolled into
a loose ball for her. That kitten doesn’t have much but she loves and
appreciates the little that she has been given.
I am sure that by now my analogy is running thin, but this
something that has stirred an interest in me. Why do we claim that being amused
by small things is a sign of a simple mind? Why do we often write off curiosity
and optimism as naivety? And why do cats, an animal generally seen as inferior
to ourselves, have a greater capacity to forgive and give each person a fresh
opportunity to make an impression than we do?
I have heard friends and acquaintances use specific examples
of unfortunate events and wrong doing to justify racism that I have called them
out on, but if an animal beaten by it’s owner is able to open it’s heart to
other people, and we claim to be of a higher level of sentience, then why would
we ever accept this justification for prejudice? This is a level of ignorance
that I am not willing to tolerate.
What is it that drives us to criticism others finding
enjoyment in things? Is it formed by some form of bitterness and jealousy of
those unable to enjoy as much of what is around them? I have decided that I don’t
mind if you make this snarky comment at me. I will simply tell you to stop and
smell the roses and then I will leave with the satisfaction of knowing that I
am enjoying things in life that others are incapable of.
I wouldn’t mind if I could learn to see the world the way my
kitten does, she seems blissfully happy.
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