Where are the positive role models?

I love sitting here on my favourite step in the garden. It´s such a pleasant day and the air angels smell really, really nice. What a wonderful kingdom I live in.

Oh, hello Sir Winston, nice to see that you are also up and about on this fine, warm day.

Well, I am not really “up and about”; I am more like “lying down and about”.

You do have a funny way with words Sir Winston, but it´s nice to see you still have your humour in place. Humour is the medicine of life.

In a way, you are a bit of a role model for me Sir Winston because no matter what the situation, you tend to enlighten me with your humour. You never seem to lose your humour.

As for me, I tend to get easily frustrated when things don´t go my way. Still, no cat´s purrrfect are they!

Well, as you are aware, I do have many faults . . . . .

. . . . . like when you “accidentally” drank all of my milk out of that saucer thing the other day?

Sorry about that Mr Midnight, I couldn´t help myself and if it is of any help, I did feel rather bad about it afterwards.

I should jolly well hope so! Still, let bygones be bygones, eh? 🙂

I`m glad you still like me Mr Mr Midnight, and admitting that I am sometimes a kind of positive role model for you pleases my heart.

Do you think there are any positive role models left in the human world Mr M. ?

From my observations – I very much doubt it.

I suppose daddy could be seen as being a role model for me, but I don´t think that would count would it? It would be a little biased and making him my role model just because he strokes me and opens those wonderful tins everyday for me doesn´t count either I suppose.

Public figures who also, happen to be positive role models are very rare these days Sir Winston.

I thought exactly the same Mr M. It´s a shame isn´t it. I feel a society needs positive role models. The human world appears to be saturated with lies, fake stuff and greed. There must be a few people out there who are still interested in proper values.

Oh, I´m sure there are Sir Winston, but they are just very difficult to find. Naturally, nobody is going to openly admit that they occasionally stoop as low as to lying, faking or being greedy, but that in my opinion, is where things start as to being a positive role model. Being truthful to oneself.

I suppose it´s only human (and catly) to occasionally do things we would sooner not but at least we should acknowledge the fact and not pretend that we are all little angels.

Of course we are all little angels. The angels live in our souls.

Yes, I know, we all have goodness within us. We should just let it shine more often.

Well, I think that there are not many positive role models left simply because we all tend to want to live conveniently and are rather lazy.

Perhaps the humans have observed us pussycats for far too long.

That could be a contributing factor. But seriously Mr Midnight, I think that it is much easier for our present society to focus their attentions on lower energies and values than it is to look up, and focus, on positive role models. To orientate oneself on a positive role model may require hard work and initiative if one it to achieve the same high standards. It is much easier to attain low standards.

I don´t like your patter but you could be correct in your assessment Sir W.

I suppose at the end of the day, the individual can only choose if they wish to positively form their character or not. As for me, I believe it is well worth while. Acquiring positive values and displaying them in public is indeed, a rarity, which makes one stand out in the crowd.

Thank you for being a positive soul for me to attain better standards Sir Winston.

Please, please Mr Midnight, don´t make me blush! 🙂

Life is fun and games.

It had been raining for a very long time and the boys were now starting to get agitated. They had to burn-up their energies somehow.

Catch me, catch me Mr Midnight – if you can!

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Sir Winston darted upstairs into the attic but couldn´t seem to shake Mr Midnight off.

I´ll get you, you little rascal, just see if I don´t.

———————————

A few empty storage boxes fell to the floor and carefully stacked items were strewn all over the place. Mr Midnight wasn´t going to give up because although Sir Winston was stronger than himself, he certainly wasn´t as nimble.

———————————

Sir Winston cried in full-swing,

Watch out! You´ll have daddy´s things knocked over.

Excuses to slow me down Sir Winston. You´re not getting away this time.

———————————

Sir Winston dived over the painting canvases in the far corner of the attic and craftily managed to get himself tucked behind the old cupboard which stood slightly ajar from the wall.

Mr Midnight skidded to a halt and frustratingly eyed Sir Winston.

And what are you going to do now Sir Winston. You´re trapped. How are you going to get past me?

I´m not, am I. I´d say that this time, we both win. If we don´t call it a draw then I will just have to wait it out. You know how patient I can be.

Your stomach will start grumbling in 10 minutes and then you´ll have to desert your post.

Dessert? That´s a good idea. But I haven´t had my mains yet. 🙂

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A slight draft from a half opened window made a piece of cord which was dangling from one of the shelves, suddenly sway in front of Mr Midnight’s watchful eyes.

He quickly lost interest in “guarding” Sir Winston’s hiding place and without hesitation, he sprang up and went over to investigate the mysterious object.

(It was in fact the ends of a string pulley attached to some window blinds which had been stored on the shelf but Mr Midnight was totally baffled by them).

Sir Winston peeped around the corner of his hiding place and curiously observed Mr Midnight’s antics.

Look Sir Winston – the things moving from side to side. Let me get my paws on it. It´s not easy – the silly things so light and it smells a little fusty.

I´ll hook my claws into it – if I can. 🙂

Oh go on Mr Midnight. Let´s find out what it is, but please be careful. We don´t want any accidents. Daddy will moan at us.

———————————

As just as Sir Winston had finished saying “…daddy will moan at us”, Mr Midnight’s claw got stuck in the cord and after having released his claw at the same time, the whole lot came tumbling down.

As scared as hell, the lads ran in opposite directions. The din was colossal.

———————————-

After having hid for what seemed like ages, they both slowly emerged from their hiding places with which to examine the damage.

My, my. It could be worse I suppose.

What do you mean by “it could be worse”. It looks a right mess. What´s daddy going to say when he sees all this stuff lying around. I don´t even know what most of it is supposed to be.

Well, stop crying over spilt milk and help me put the stuff back on the shelf – although I´m not quite sure how we´re going to do that what with our little legs and paws.

Do you think daddy will notice if we just shove the stuff into that far corner?

We could try putting it all behind my hiding place behind the old cupboard.

Purrrhaps daddy has still got his sense of humour. I´ve observed that many humans seem to have lost their humour but daddy is rather comical sometimes.

You´re right on that one Mr Midnight. Grown-up humans always seem to act so seriously. No wonder they´re often miserable half the time and in need of superficial entertainment. They seem to have lost their playfullness. Only human children still understand the necessity to playfully, go through life.

Well let´s try and clear up some of this mess and just hope that daddy´s humour will shine on through.

We could say that we did it on purrrpose with which to test his sense of humour.

Oh I´m sure that he´s game. I have faith in him.

Now come on SIr Winston. Stop chatting about and help me please. I´m getting famished. 🙂

Slow the pace

Daddy told me off a little the other day Sir Winston. I can´t really blame him though because he was appearing rather flushed and stressed up. I´m sure he didn´t know how he was reacting.

Was he in one of those “rushing around moods”?

You know, when he slips into that “trying to do three or four things at once” mode?

How right you are Sir W. He is only human, so I suppose he can be excused. 🙂

And what was he going on about?

I think he was a bit perturbed by the fact that I had had a little sleep in the garden for about 15 or 16 hours or so, and he was still sweating away in the heat trying to get things done.

Poor daddy, it´s most unusual for him to lose his rag.

Humans are such busy boddies aren´t they.

I was talking to Karl the snail only this morning and he mentioned how terribly fast-paced the human world seems to be.

Yes, snails have got it all worked out haven´t they. They just take their time.

I met the lizards Helmut, Günter and Getrud the other day and they were also a little baffled as to why the human race races all the time. They were having a nice sun bathe on our favourite rocks.

I told them that they too, often scurried about a lot, but they informed me that they rest more than they scurry.

The same with Helga and Ingrid from down the road.

I don´t think I´ve ever met them two. Who are they again?

They´re the two rabbits who live in that little copse of trees down the road. You must have met them?

I can´t remember them. I thought rabbits were also quite active.

Not Helga and Ingrid. They just sit half the time, twitching their noses. It sometimes annoys me but I guess they can´t help it.

Can you remember Horst, Heike, Uwe and Wolfgang?

You mean the squirrel family from over the way?

Yes. They´re often rushing about the place but they once told me they have it in their genes. They were a little nuts the day I met them because they thought the human race was copying them all the time – you know, erratically rushing about, just like squirrels do. They´re quire paranoid sometimes.

They always have nuts on their mind – but in the brain as well?

Life is supposed to be enjoyed at a sedate pace. If one goes to fast through life one misses out on all the important bits.

And there is so much to miss in life!

Humans, take your time and chill a little more. If it helps things, pretend you´re a pussy cat or Karl the snail or something. Life isn´t supposed to be taken too seriously and you only have one life this time around. 🙂

Change

I find that Saturday afternoon has always been something special to me. Although I have always worked Saturday mornings, when I get home in the early afternoon, there always appears to be some kind of magic in the air. Perhaps it´s the knowledge that the “working week” has finished for me and I have a few days ahead; or perhaps it has something to do with the fact that I can now take my time attending to my many household chores with the conservative knowledge that Sunday will be the day of rest (at least in our part of the woods!).

Such an afternoon had once again, crept up on me, and I had decided that I would go into the garden to dig up a piece of the lawn in which to make a flower bed and plant a few small bushes.

What on earth is going off daddy. You´re ruining our little patch. Are you allowed to just go and change our kingdom like that?

I thought I would make the garden a bit more interesting. You´d have another area in which to sit.

Well, I was quite fond of our green kingdom as it was. I know the garden off by paw – what with its many pleasant smells and adorable features.

Now it´s going to be different – AGAIN!

What´s he up to now Mr Midnight? The kingdom looks a right mess. It was all nice and pretty before daddy got his botanical gadgets out of the shed.

Boys please! I thought I would tidy the garden up a bit and make it a bit more attractive for you.

I bit more attractive? It looks a right mess.

I have just started Mr Midnight. I know it doesn´t look much at the moment, but if you would try to be a little bit more patient, it will look a lot better in a couple of hours.

But why put all the time and effort into it daddy? It looked fine before you started. The green kingdom has always looked how it has. I liked it as it was before.

Don´t you feel we could do with a little change sometimes Sir Winston?

Change? A cat who wants “change” must be ill somehow. We cats are not so keen on change.

I can vouch for you Sir Winston. Why change something when you´ve got used to something? It´s nice keeping things just as they are.

Well, I am quite aware that the modern human race has a big problem with “change” and adapting to new environments but I never thought you two would adopt such a stance.

I am only attending to this small piece of garden. It´s not going to change your lives. You never know, in a few weeks you may even like what I have done.

We´ll see daddy. We´ll see.

You carry on then. You can´t leave it like it is. It looks terrible. What will Mr Dog from next door think?

I´m sure Mr Dog will be over the moon when I have finished. Unlike you two, he´s very flexible to adaption.

Life is always on the move and never stays put, so a small change in the garden isn´t going to do any harm.

We´ll see how you like it when the garden is in full bloom. I think you´ll be surprised if you accept “change” as a chance for something better.

The rapid slip of time

I can´t believe that it is already the beginning of June. Christmas was not all that long ago and Easter has also already passed us by.

What´s happening. Has “time” entered a time slip or something?

I don´t know what you´re talking about daddy. My life is “passing by” as normal. I have lot´s of time on my paws.

And that´s possibly why daddy seems to find that his life is shooting by so quickly. We have a lot of time on our paws – and he doesn´t!

Can you remember that I left you both with the neighbours for a couple of nights not so long ago?

I remember. It´s not quite the same when you´re not around daddy. I miss my fur being stroked properly.

But the neighbours mean well Mr Midnight.

Anyway, I left you both for two nights because I made a journey to visit the Alsace in France. . . .

Wherever that is. 🙂

Let daddy continue Mr Midnight.

As always, it was as quaint as ever, and those three days seemed to be like an eternity. You see, I hadn´t much to do, apart from hiking, reading and eating. You´re both most likely right in your assumptions. When one has a lot of time, time slows down.

Precisely daddy. Didn´t you know that already?

It´s easier for us cats Mr Midnight, because we do not go to work and we haven´t any hobbies. We just enjoy our lives and live in the moment.

In which to slow down time, the trick appears to not cram our lives with so much stuff. It´s easier said than done but I am going to give it a try. It really did me good to have a few long days just enjoying life in the moment.

You´d better be careful daddy. You seem to be following in our cat ways. I can thoroughly recommend you give it a bash though. You´ll find that slowing down will do you the world of good.

A dying breed – the gentleman.

“A gentleman” is defined as being somebody who is chivalrous, courteous or honourable and is also used as a form of address.

There doesn´t seem to be too many of that kind of people walking the planet in our modern times.

I suspect that´s because “being a gentleman” seems to be seen as being rather “fuddy-duddy” and old school

Which is what I just said. There doesn´t appear to be too many of those kind around. 😉

The word “gentleman”, has the word “gentle” within it, which suggests a caring, considerate, pleasant male person. How does one get to be a gentleman, daddy?

Among other things; having manners, etiquette and acting with good behaviour.

A bit like me then really. I always wait ages to get my food and I hardly ever complain. I´m very patient.

I never thought one could class me as being a gentleman pussycat.

Well there is a bit more to it than just waiting, without complaining, to be fed Mr Midnight.

What exactly are manners daddy?

“Manners” are ways of behaving with polite standards. Through customs, one is aware of how to positively interact within society. One puts others before oneself.

“A gentleman” is certainly a dying breed – putting others BEFORE ONESELF?

I know; it is rather sad, and the very thought of putting others first is a notion difficult to comprehend for many in the 21st century.

Perhaps you human “gentlemen” are copying us cats. We often put ourselves first.

But we try to do it in a nice way Mr Midnight. Our behaviour is only our instinct calling.

I believe that if one possesses manners, then one has had an upbringing and is educated. Instruction in younger years appears to be a thing of the past. It appears appealing to want to do what we want to do without thinking of others.

How are we suppossed to have manners and etiquette when nobody has taught us?

Well being a gentleman may be a difficult task but I think it is well worth it.

Most people, especially the male variety, wish to portray how cool they are.

I can´t think of anything more elegant, sophisticated and cool than being a gentleman.

One would certainly stand out in the crowd if one was a gentleman in our modern times!

Being a thankful cat.

I´m very, very thankful for my present life Sir Winston. Up until now it´s turned out quite hunky dory.

I´ll second you on that Mr Midnight. We had a bit of a dodgy start though, what with that animal shelter nightmare thing, but it seems we have chosen a lovely experience in this life now that daddy has found us.

Oh, I can just remember the shelter. The humans tried to be nice to us but being cooped up with all those other poor souls wasn´t really my bowl of milk. Still, as you say, we obviously chose to have that experience.

Life can be so rewarding can´t it.

You bet Sir W.

I love the way the air angels stroke my fur when I´m in the green kingdom of ours.

And I love to breathe the air angels deep into my body. The sweet smell and taste of the air angels is so comforting and rejuvenating.

Daddy feeds us and he seems to love stroking our fur.

That´s alright with me Mr Midnight, and in return we give him our love. That´s how things are suppossed to be.

Giving and taking.

What a beautiful planet we live on.

The humans seem to be struggling with our planet – you know, their habitual goings on appear to be wrecking the place.

And they appear to be wrecking themselves in the process.

It must be a nautral human thing to want to destroy things. After all, if observing their past track record they´ve had enough practice at destroying things.

Such a shame, such a waste. You´d think they´d be a bit smarter than they are wouldn´t you.

Our kingdom and surrounding natural environment doesn´t seem to have a problem with the humans devastating attitude towards our planet. Nature just changes its course. It´s the poor humans who have problems with change.

Modern humans seem to always be rushing about and although none of them would admit it, they love living their lives in fear.

Which must be why most of them have some sort of illness. Poor souls, they really seem to be struggling. Still,although being unconscious to them, it´s obviously what they wanted to experience in this life. Pain and suffering – that´s not a way for us cats to go.

However, there must be still a few wise humans because one of them once said, “You can´t change the past but you can ruin the present by worrying about the future”.

They obviously knew what they were talking about. That´s such a wise message – and from a human as well! 😉

Well, everybody is on their path and must follow their star. Step by step, some of them will get wiser I´m sure.

Lets just continue to be thankful for the magic of what we´ve got. Our companionship, health and best of all, love of ALL THINGS.

Give me a high-five Sir W!!!!

Here´s my paw . . . . .

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	Lauren on “A Helping Paw”
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Author Archives: allangilmour

Where are the positive role models?

Life is fun and games.

Slow the pace

Change

The rapid slip of time

A dying breed – the gentleman.

Being a thankful cat.

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