cat man

J fulfills his promise with this virgin post:

This fellow is outside Y's house every sunday night. I saw him again, late tonight, when i walked out to catch a cab. This time he brought the whitest white friend along this time, maybe the girlfriend. They kept staring at me. A long hard stare - but not vicious, a somewhat longing, curious, wanna-be-friends type of look. When i walked further, a tree blocked his view, so he tilted his head to continue the stare. Then he glanced at his friend, as if to say "See! I told you, this guy always walks by here."

We saw him again last night. With the same stare, unhurried, unwary. Not watching, but looking. I was thinking - what a human gaze!. Maybe because this chap has a head of black fur above its eyes, the fringe slightly parted in the middle, and 2 streaks down the side of its face, like sideburns.

I've been thinking. Whatever inspired God to make them cats? In fact, all the animals - then place them on this earth, and to top it off, trust us humans to look after all creation - the furries, the fish and the fruits!

OK, even if you don't share this same view of creation and man's fall, I guess most folks would still agree that our boast of human progress is mainly one of running away from this task and building a world apart instead. Aiyah, we admit animals into our cities in twos or threes, and into our homes if they respected the integrity of the four walls and, if dead, didn't jump out from the pot. We tolerate strays maybe because they are like public, communal pets, there to prove our compassion.

To compensate for all this, we like to bestow on their representations a semblance of humanity: dress them up (even if half of their nakedness still shows - poor Winnie, Donald and Yogi!), have them walk upright, eat from plates...and make them take on our day jobs.

Comments

Anonymous said…
for a somewhat different perspective (not necessarily conflicting, perhaps):

http://journalscape.com/derekjames/2002-11-26-14:38

(found via googling "coevolution dogs cats")
2:53 am
Anonymous said…
for a somewhat different perspective (not necessarily conflicting, perhaps):

http://journalscape.com/derekjames/2002-11-26-14:38

(found via googling "coevolution dogs cats")
2:59 am
儒 said…
well done, TOHA!
3:00 am
ampulets said…
Will reload the 2nd picutre, a drawing later tonight. (hmm, not sure if it's just my screen).
9:22 am
monk said…
We (humanity) have clearly been placed here with a responsibility.

Some would say we are to "establish dominion" over the earth and all that god has placed on and in it. A lot of these people may also believe in "end-times" and see no reason to conserve or practice sustainability.

Personally, I believe we have two responsilities that overlap:

1) we are the caretakers for the earth, its creatures and our fellow man. we work toward the general goal of freedom with the mechanism of love.

2) we have to figure out what it means to live an artistic life ourselves, and extend that as far into our world as is practicable.

thanks again, amp -- i think this may've sparked my next post.
11:40 am
ampulets said…
robot - hmm, yup, not necessarily conflicting :>
(but i wonder if the cat-people will agree...)

40calibernap - strange, the folks who really believe in the "end-times" should do exactly the opposite and practise sustainability, because of all people, surely they must live out the conviction that the earth was entrusted to their responsible care.
11:42 pm
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