Consider this world of ours. It is very strange. Not just because it is big and blue, hanging in the inky depths of space like a bowling ball that forgot to fall to the ground. This world is also strange because of the people hanging precariously on that thin crust of a surface. Let us consider those things that I don’t understand about our world, and some of those that I do.
I do understand why my cat is a good hunter of its prey – it’s a sleek beast made for the purpose.
I don’t understand why people have to hate each other. Some people really are ‘haters’ – their hate defines them, destroys the very essence of their being. We should never ‘hate’ – it is the very strongest of emotions and destroys your soul when you do.
I do understand why my cat is gentle with victims. It shows no mercy in achieving its goal, but after the thrill of the hunt the victims are set free – to live another day.
I don’t understand the need to hate – maybe hating a cardboard cutout is easier than understanding. The real story is too complex – all Men have feet of clay – if they don’t, they haven’t had ‘A Current Affair’ ruin their lives yet! Beware the absolute. ‘All Nazis are evil’. ‘All Muslims blow people up’. ‘All heroin addicts are destroyed and lost souls’. Everyone has a story to tell if the ‘real them’ is allowed onto the open plains – ‘Australian Story’ on the ABC tells us that. The absolute is easier to hate, to revile, to cast out into the wilderness of blackness. The absolute is a cruel master of your mind.
I do understand why my cat is powerful. His passion is coupled with strong desire for life lived out of the shadows.
I don’t understand why hatred needs to be such a powerful force – we see the bloody evidence of it every time we power up that glowing screen that emasculates our minds. Is it just me that doesn’t understand this world? Why journalists need to cackle with demonic glee as Baghdad is bombed? Why Islamic fundamentalists rejoice in the destruction of people never met?
In the midst of all this drear, can the powerful force of hatred be fought? Not in the traditional way. The only way I know is to fight the eternal darkness of the soul by acting locally. Build bridges with your ‘absolutes’. I do understand my friend the Moggie. My cat is a Lion, and my cat is out of the bag. You are that cat – you have the power to choose whether to scratch the furniture or to make this world a better place.
I was thinking something similar yet less eloquent just the other day. As a bullied child I have a lot of anger in me that should have been spent defending myself back then. I also have great forgiveness within me.
I do not understand why there has to be such cruelty and malice in this world towards “people never met”. You are right. I was also just thinking today, we (the Westerners) have perpetrated some pretty evil acts ourselves over the ages and one could definitely be forgiven for thinking that WE are the evil ones.
It is naive though, to wonder, ‘why cant we all just get along?’….but perhaps naive is what we should all be.
Now…if only that nasty old cow would kick the bucket next door, I could leave both my dogs outside during the day 😛
As I recall that eloquence didn’t just happen, I had to think about it a fair bit :). This was written for my old Lions Club ages ago.
….and I don’t ever remember you owning a cat…although some of your dogs could be mistaken for cats…. 😛
It’s a metaphor mate. The cat’s a right proper metaphor.