I Should Be Learning Lines...

However...I am certainly not *le sigh*

In fact, I should have taken the entire day to learn them and make them my own...Especially since LYLAS has a show coming up FAST! *insert shameless plug here: "Maybe She's Born With It...Maybe It's LYLAS" December 2-5 @ 35Below. "OH NO SHE DIDN'T!" LYLAS show to be presented for those who are not easily offended and love all things raunchy...December 4th & 5th at 10 PM @ 35Below...check www.lylas.org for details*

ANYWHO...Where was I? Oh yes...not learning lines...

Instead, I did laundry and gave a relatively thorough cleaning of my abode. I've yet to understand why it takes me so damn long to accomplish this task as my apartment is the size of a hamster cage...Wheel and watering bowl included...You can tell by looking at me that I don't use the wheel enough for exercise...Plus, the wheel is rusty...

Point is: Mundane task day at my residence...

My dog, Carson, enjoyed it. He stayed outside on this lovely day in his fenced in yard. The napped, as usual, and would look up from my bed occasionally to display their disdain for having their naps interrupted by the vacuum knocking into the bed. You should have seen their faces when they had to walk through the freshly mopped floor around their litter boxes...It was terrifying to be in the house alone with them for moments after that I can tell you...They were plotting my death.

After completing the household chores, I debated on getting outside in the warm weather and taking Carson to the dog park...My lazy side got the better of me and I chose, instead, to sit in front of my computer for the rest of the day...still in my pajamas...

Very sad...
Very lame...

While sitting in my computer chair, I looked behind me at the sight on my bed...

Picture this: Dog...cat...cat...each of them nuzzled comfortably on separate corners of my bed. Occasionally, the cats would re-adjust and give each other baths. Carson rarely shifted from his spot.

As I sat and contemplated this, I thought to myself, "Gee...how nice it must be to be a domestic animal in a loving home? You don't have to worry about anything! You get fed, you have a warm bed, you get occasional lovin', & in most cases, treated like royalty."

I started thinking about the bull they don't have to worry about: Finances, relationships, a job...nothing.

I guess the one I was most envious about was the 'lack of a relationship' worry. They don't get their hearts broken...They're not worried about the possibility of being alone forever...They don't have to worry about that feeling that makes their heart nearly stop beating when they get told, "I don't want to see you anymore"...They don't know the meaning of, "It's not you, it's me"...and all the other tired cliches that people tell you in their sad attempt at 'making it easier' or 'softening the blow'...

Which, in most cases, are all a load of crap...

But I digress...

However, as I was reveling in my imaginary "Pet World" (oh yes, this was complete with images of me as a long & lean black cat strutting around my humans household doing what I pleased...including tripping them as they walk down the stairs in the morning as they sleepily trudge down the stairs, and because of my fancy footwork, end up in a crumpled mess at the bottom of the stairs...but I'm off point), I realized...

Wait a minute...they do worry about relationships...

They miss us when we are gone. I mean, I can be gone for 10 minutes to the store and Carson reacts to my homecoming as though I have been gone DAYS! The cats are not as gracious, but they are visibly upset if I have been gone more than a day and are all over me when I walk through the door.

At night, all three of them pile up around me in the safety of my bed. My cat, Harley, typically a hater of all things, nuzzles my face and my hands for his nightly petting...wanting to be loved. The same is true for the other two critters...Especially, Carson...That need for constant reassurance that he is needed...wanted...loved...

They crave much what we do...we don't hold complete stock in these emotions...they have stock in them as well.

One thing can be said for our pets that can't be said for humans is that they possess what we do not: True, undying, unconditional love.

No matter the color of our skin, religion, political views, hair color...or even our bad taste in clothing...they will love us. So long as we give them their basic needs...BASIC mind you...they will always be there when no one else is...they are a constant until their last breath.

You can't say that for a lot of people in this world...Sometimes even those we think are our rocks...our pillars of support...can fall and crumble over the silliest of reasons...

So...in essence...Pets have a lot of the same worries we do...the same needs...the same feelings...

I'll remember that from now on the next time I'm in one of my 'blue' moments...and I will cuddle them long and hard knowing that regardless what happens in my life...They are there...giving me what I need for the moment...and for all the 'moments' that are to come...

Until they take that last breath...

And even then, I will look back on their life and smile because at that moment I will know that their time on this earth has come, and their reason for being here was to love...and love unconditionally...

After that...their job is done...and their reward is on it's way...

On to that big ol' never-ending food dish and self-filtering water bowl in the sky...