Being walked on

The destination decides the journey but the paw prints make the path. 

-KT Cat Paws

Mr. Bailey stepped on me today!

By Miss Mattie the Cat

It didn’t hurt and I don’t have any bumps or bruises, but he did wake me up out of a sound sleep.

I was snuggled and cuddled on the couch between the blanket and pillow and he walked over to get to his infamous cushion of contentment, Mr. Bailey stepped on the blanket and me. He squished me into the couch. The nerve.

He has big clumpy paws so when he walks, he thumps, and he thumps well.  He may be graceful in his Zen cat mind, but that graciousness does not extend to his big boy paws. There is no ballerina stepping or silent ninja walk in that cat.

No. Not Mr. Bailey.

He pounds his paws on the floor like a buffalo. Who knows, maybe he was a buffalo in a past life.

I do bet he was more graceful in his past life.  He probably moved slower as well. Like a turtle with big clumpy turtle feet.

Maybe he thumps on purpose so that everyone knows he is coming. Well, it works.

When he stepped on me, it was startling as I was having a good cat nap. So, I did what any smart girl would do. I paw popped him for good measures.

He needs to get his Zen head out of the clouds and pay attention.

Hey! I think I just became the obstacle to his ultimate truth.

Maybe I will walk over him. Embrace that whole karma thing right?

I don’t think it will do much as I only weigh about 6 lbs so it would probably feel like a massage. I would have to jump on him from a distance with ninja speed. I think he would see that coming.

I bet now that I coped a cattitude he will want to  sprinkle some of his Zen lessons on me.

Sigh.

I have a lesson for him. My lesson to him is simple- “Don’t walk all over me.”

I was taking a peaceful nap. Even the Dalai Lama says that “sleep is the best meditation.”

He disturbed my meditation practice, so if I am not all that “zen”, it is his fault.

 

Mr. Bailey Words of Wisdom

I do apologize for stepping on you Miss Mattie. I know you felt like you were being walked on, but that is not true.

I will do better being more present while I walk so I can see you hiding between the blanket and pillow with only a tiny part of your paw peeking through. Perhaps you should practice your sleeping meditation “on top “of the blanket so everyone can see you.

We are lucky the human didn’t sit on you.

Just saying.

I do like the quote you provided about sleeping and meditation, but I don’t think your cat nap was what the Dalai Lama was talking about. I think you need to practice meditation while being awake first.

I have found that when we make mistakes, it can teach us great lessons. I am no different.

Although, I don’t want to step on you, I can’t be afraid of making mistakes. This lesson has taught me to be more aware of my surroundings. To pay more attention to what is below my paws. Obstacles occur every day and I need to be aware of them. Obstacles tiny like you or big like our human.

Obstacles should not be avoided for they are stepping stones in life.

It is also true that not everything you step on is solid ground. Everything changes. Even our direction and the path we take. I must constantly make adjustments.

The Zen proverb says that “The obstacle is the path.”

Perhaps you were my stepping stone at the time.

Albeit, you were not the best one as you are way too squishy.

This has also taught me to never underestimate the power of a tiny cat with lightning speed ninja paws. Your attitude weighs more than you do especially when those paws to the popping.

Again I do apologize.

P.S No, I don’t think I was buffalo with big feet.

Or a turtle.

Mr. Bailey