Dog and Cat

(Originally written in 2018)

Figuring out a good way to talk about staying “in the now” , rather than getting hung up in what has happened (which you can’t do much about now) and what may occur later (which you don’t know what’s coming). While chatting with a friend recently, a couple of solid examples of living in the now came up. I’ve talked about it before but not so much in depth. And most of us have these examples taking up space in our beds nightly.

Dog. Cat.

Let’s start with Dog.

A being of all shapes, sizes, and colors. Full of fun and unconditional love who is SO HAPPY TO SEE YOU when you walk in the door. Dog has no clue how your day went, Dog can’t be bothered with who loves you or hates you. Maybe Dog really needs to pee. Possibly Dog is hoping (if Dog even remembers) that you don’t see the pile of fluff in the living where a couch once stood or that stinky brown mini-mountain left in the kitchen. Most of all, right at that moment Dog just wants to lick your face because Dog is so excited that you walked in the door. Despite the pending cleanup, Dog really does make you feel a whole lot better because you just got unconditionally loved on.

Then there is Cat.

Cat is just going to do whatever Cat wants, whenever Cat wants. Mostly, that is going to be to sleep, wherever Cat has determined will be of most comfort to Cat. Cat may choose your bed, the kitchen sink, the top shelf, or on top the book you are trying to read at the moment. Cat will get up only when Cat feels like it. This could be to offload a really stinky litter box bomb in the middle of family dinner or date night. Possibly Cat needs to chase a dust bunny at 3 in the morning. On occasion Cat must knock breakables off of your shelves. Cat will almost certainly be inspired to headbutt you while you try to sleep. Cat doesn’t give one damn what you think about any of this. Cat wants to do what Cat wants to do, and that’s the end of it. As soon as you leave or are otherwise not paying attention, Cat’s just going to go and do it anyway.

There is something to be said about how Dog and Cat each live their lives in the now. Of course they take much different approaches, but both are still in the moment. Neither cares about the past or the future, or about any drama happening outside the house, or any of that external crap we fret about but can’t control anyway. The only reason either would care about Trump, or Obama, or whoever is if one of them was there rubbing bellies and serving treats. Neither can process the news, Facebook shenanigans, or exclusives about which Kardashian just farted.

Dog just wants to love and be loved. Cat just wants to do whatever. Nothing else matters. There is a freedom to that. We don’t allow ourselves to just be in the moment because we get so lost in our jobs, social lives, our unresolved issues, and our fears.

Why can’t we just allow ourselves to stay present, at least every so often? Just sit, take a breath, maybe two, and enjoy the sights and sounds this moment offers. Leave everything in a pile outside to be dealt with later because so often in the now, you can find a peace and maybe we figure out things don’t suck as much as we thought.

Watch Dog. Watch Cat. Let them teach us something.