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Monday, August 29, 2011

Catastrophic Thinking


I’m watching the neighbor’s two dogs run loose in the neighborhood. The tall golden one with tail lifted like a flag trots ahead, footloose and fancy-free, while the short-legged corgi-type scampers along like a caboose. They seem to be enjoying this lovely summer morning while we neighbors fret about them. One neighbor has corralled them once already and returned them to their back yard. She and my husband confer when the dogs free themselves again: What to do? No one is home at the dogs’ house and obviously the back yard cannot contain them.

People here care about their neighbors. My observant, friendly husband walks our dogs every morning and garners news or dispenses advice. I wonder if anyone has noticed we have a new housemate. Our 18-year-old granddaughter has moved into my daughter’s old bedroom to work and attend the local community college.

This has wrought a monumental change in our methodology. That bedroom was the bedroom of our two foundling kitties for the past two years. It was where we sequestered them to keep them safe from the dangerous outdoors when the doggie door was open for the beagles. I wanted indoor kitties when we adopted them because we once lost a cat to a predator, we think, and we once had a cat mauled. By this time, the young cats know their room, and they gallop into it with tails high at night, or whenever enticed by shaking a tin filled with cat food.

Since the advent of Lalas, as we call our granddaughter, the cats’ material goods have been moved into our room, and the cats are confused. They dash to the closed door of what used to be their habitat, and stare at it. At night, they wander our bedroom, wreaking havoc, opening cupboard doors, climbing the blinds, terrorizing the beagles, generally creating mayhem that keeps us awake and grouchy.

Twice last night in the dark I tripped over a frightened beagle who didn’t know which way to run: away from the cats, or away from the human feet. So she froze and was tripped over with great cusswords. By midnight, I was considering divorce. I’m a catastrophic thinker.

Thank God the weekend brought an AA convention to our area. At least for pockets of time I was not crazy. The Friday night speaker, Cliff R. from Southern California, gave me food for thought. He quoted Mother Teresa, and I wrote part of the quote on the back of my name tag:

“The fruit of prayer is faith, the fruit of faith is love, the fruit of love is service, the fruit of service is peace.” (Mother Teresa)

I suspended my plans for divorce this morning and made a date with a newcomer to meet her at an AA meeting today. I want some peace in my life, and the only peace I’ve ever found from my catastrophic thinking is in the oddly wrapped gift that is Alcoholics Anonymous.



13 comments:

Brian Miller said...

glad you have the tools to fight your way through the chaos...and hope the cats get some new routine in their life soon...our new kitten goes to the basement every night at 10 pm for similar reasons...

Dr. Cheryl Carvajal said...

My only peace is in poetry. And Zumba. Lots and lots of Zumba.

Teri and her Stylish Adventure Cats said...

I don't comment very often, but wanted you to know that every time I visit I learn something and am more peaceful. And of course, this time the photo of the kitty caught my eye and it was an interesting way to learn...the rest of the story.

Terra said...

I hope you are surrounded by peace and a peaceful home this week, except of course for a bit of entertaining rumpus from your cute pets.

steveroni said...

Loved the story--and the 'rest of the story'. All the way to that (very normal!)catastrophic thinking, to the oddly wrapped gift!
Blessings, and that PEACE which comes after prayer, faith, love and service.

OH! What a great post!

Magpie said...

Change can bring upheaval in our "norm" and routine. But hopefully, too, it can take us out of ourselves. Good luck with the adjusting...things will soon settle into the new "norm". :)

Syd said...

Good for you to get to a meeting. Yeah, my best thinking got me where I am today and at that time, I was ready to walk out the door. I am glad that I stayed.

RNSANE said...

It's good to hear that divorce is on the back burner. Somehow, I don't think it will happen.

So will your granddaughter go to Cal Poly once junior college is over? How nice to have such sweet grandparents.

Lou said...

Cats do those things deliberately you know. Just to mess with us.

Loved your last paragraph.

Unknown said...

I like what Lou said and like Lou I loved the last paragraph too, I love the image of AA as an oddly wrapped gift too!

xo to you dear one!!!
xo

Teri and her Stylish Adventure Cats said...

Your comment about shaving your kitty to make it look smarter made me smile...I am biased but I think Cornish Rex are the smartest of cats and even if they grew fur, their brain would enamor them to me...

Margaret said...

LOL This is funny as we must lock our cats out of our bedroom.... but we don't have a doggy door.

I love Mother Teresa quotes. :)

Unknown said...

cute.


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