A Feline Example On Courage

Fangs. Killer claws. Hisses, grrrs...and later, yelps. Who is not familiar with cat-dog combats? It's a "hair-raising" party of limbs and tails and yes, the loser sheds most of the fur- mostly, the cat.

It was night time and I was in the living room reading a tear-jerker when I heard a throaty, prolonged and wavering wail. Instantly I dropped the book and rushed to the door with one thought in mind - my cat was under attack. The thought brought an ugly picture to my head. I feared an on-the-prowl Sparky or a hyperactive Caesar or worse, the Big Dogs on the Block (BDOB a.k.a. askal) was circling my Khufu in anticipation of tearing her apart.

So you could just imagine the shock on my face when I caught Khufu chasing Sparky, a dog two times her size. A dog. My cat just chased a dog. I thought it only happens on TV.

"You were supposed to be helpless," I scolded Khufu but actually I was torn between being proud of the cat and being afraid of it as it sat on its hind, licking its paws...Sparky completely forgotten.

But then my memory bank had retrieved from its archives a plausible explanation about what had transpired in the scene of crime. Said dog seemed to have a phobia with cats for once upon a time it received a blow from a cat's paw on the head. So I thought my cat was just plain lucky. Sparky would avert from anything that meows.

But then another weird night came and dogs were running for their tails. The militant cat had struck again.

Dogs. Not one, but two. Dogs- definitely not puppies. One was Caesar and the other was a BDOB- both bigger than Sparky. I was impressed.

Perhaps it would happen again, perhaps not. But I wouldn't want my feline friend to make it a hobby or she'll drive all the dogs away.

Here's the norm: cats are to be chased by dogs. The poor cat must have gotten tired of running for her life that she decided to make a brave yet an unthinkable move to alter cat life in our dog-infested neighborhood.

It seems she has gathered up her tattered pride and charge, come what may, to make a statement in the name of the feline race. The statement would be: We cats may be soft, but we are not fragile.

How easy it is for us to run away from our fears or to give in to the unfairness of the bullies to avert the hassles and side effects of battle, having known not the possible victories we could achieve...dreams stay as mere dreams.

But fear is fear. If only we could just throw it out of the window and have it locked out from our minds. But fear is a part of our existence. It is a psychological battle, a tug-of-war between yes and no. For me, it is not something we bulldoze in a day. I remember how my cat used to sacrifice her food to the dogs and be rooted indoors. It took her time to gain the courage to go against the norm we thought could never be changed.

Perhaps the passport to courage is to be sure of who we are, to believe, to act big no matter how small, like the cat that fought for its claim of territory and demand for respect with a personlity bigger than a dog.

We all have our own dogs to chase to turn our "impossible" into a badge we can proudly wear. As for me, I'm not done with mine yet.

---

Neither A Borrower

Direct Answers - Column for the week of November 4,... Read More

Vistas

The other day I found myself frustrated with the slow... Read More

An Unquenched Thirst

Direct Answers - Column for the week of September 9,... Read More

How To Be Secure In An Insecure World

Most of us believe that our happiness and security are... Read More

Clearing Your Inner Landscape: Freeing Yourself From Emotional Deadwood

Do you suffer from emotional clutter? Is suffering even the... Read More

The Power of Gratitude

When my older son was diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity... Read More

The Seasons of Life, Part 2 of 5

Last week we started a five part series on The... Read More

Teachers Pet

Direct Answers - Column for the week of October 20,... Read More

Its The Journey, Not The Destination

Don't you just hate clichés like the one illustrated in... Read More

Resistance to Change

All of us are resistant to change, whether it's in... Read More

Hitler and the Tsunami

In Catholic school the nuns used to tell us that... Read More

8 Ways to Get Your Healthy Groove On

You've heard the saying, "You are what you eat." I... Read More

Super Powers

It is fun to watch movies of those with super... Read More

What Life is All About?

When we look at lives in any places in this... Read More

7 Strategies to Overcoming Anxiety and Panic Attacks

You Can Overcome panic attacks and anxiety! That is great... Read More

Growing From Good To Great

I have never been fond of white-water rafting, probably because... Read More

A Key In Hand Is Worth A Thousand On My Desk

A key fault I have, and I can only talk... Read More

Adversity, What Is It Good For?

As I sat down to write this article, I was... Read More

Inspired Intuition - Following Your Inner Voice

"Some people call the still, small voice insight or intuition?Our... Read More

In Search For Wealth

My eldest son phoned me the other night to let... Read More

Best Friends

Do you ever need to have your batteries "re-charged", or... Read More

Helen Keller: A Teller and a Seller

What are the odds of someone doing extraordinary things if... Read More

Save the Planet with Your Joy!

Your own level of frequency raises or lowers the overall... Read More

Two Drops Of Water

Direct Answers - Column for the week of June 17,... Read More

Why You Are Special and Why Does It Matter

Why 'you are special'?Why and how does it matter?Things you... Read More

What To Do When You Dont Know What To Do

It is often difficult to know exactly what to do.... Read More

Top 15 Inspirational Quotations

Get inspired and lift your spirits with these positive quotations... Read More

TIES that BIND

I have no idea how it started or who launched... Read More

Timepieces

Direct Answers - Column for the week of June 2,... Read More

Fail Your Way To The Top

Have you had a challenging day or week? Feel a... Read More

Are You Afraid of Change?

Change, no matter how you cut it, can certainly be... Read More

Here is The Inspirational Wisdom From The Masters

Have you always wanted to do invent something, create something,... Read More

Just Think of Kyle!

This morning at 5:22am to 6am, I was overwhelmed. Overwhelmed... Read More