Lessons from the friendly neighborhood cat

I had often seen this majestic black cat strolling in my neighborhood. Sometimes it would sit on my patio and  peep inside the window. There were moments, I must admit, that I almost dropped my cup of tea or yelp at the sight of two green eyes looking at me. That creepy feeling when you feel you are being watched. My imagination being the way it is would reflect back to some of those ghost stories. And then I'd smack myself when I realized it was just a cat.  A beautiful black lazy cat, curious as all cats are slated to be. 

It would look inside until I'd go outside to say a friendly hello. And overtime I'd do that, the cat would dash into those bushes. Was it scared? Shy? I couldn't imagine such a confident creature petrified of anything. Why, the other day I was coming back from my workout, I watched this furry creature sit haughtily in front of a dog without a care in the world. The dog would bark but the unfazed expression on the cat's face would intimidate the dog. Was this the same poised animal that was frightened of me?

I must admit I am an ardent cat lover and have always been since my childhood. Every time I'd see a cat, my first reaction was to stroke it. Which is what I'd try and do to this black beauty. And yet it chose to play hide and seek with me.  I gave up and retreated to my desk where I continued writing. 

For days, I'd see this cat on my patio. Sometimes it would sit there gazing at the tree or almost nothing. The writer in me was curious to know what the cat could probably be thinking as it swished its tail. This time I did not go out as I usually did. I'd gaze at it quietly from the window, respecting its privacy. There were a few lessons that I learned by merely observing the cat. Its ability to appear cool and display that nonchalant attitude.

 There were times during the spring semester when I was suffering from bouts of self confidence. There were moments when I felt that my fiction writing wasn't going in the direction I wanted it to go. There were thoughts that were all over the place and I wasn't sure if I was presenting them in the right manner to the class. I wasn't sure if this just my mind playing games with me. Especially since the classes were still remote and on zoom. There was this brief period when I suffered from depression in the month of March. The presence of this cat kept me sane, calm and gave me a sense of reassurance.

 Its funny how we tend to derive solace from creatures that are unable to speak to us. Cats definitely do have that mystical effect. Eventually this cloud lifted , my mind cleared and along with the spring season, I embraced a new beginning. I began to have a lot more confidence in my writing, spoke with a lot more clarity and enjoyed my writing. Every time, I'd feel that niggle of self doubt, I'd just think of that cat-comfortable in its own skin, gliding smoothly like it owns the world and without a care of what others think. I realized life was more peaceful that way.