a lesson from a cat
By cloudwatcher
@cloudwatcher (6861)
Australia
September 6, 2009 10:30pm CST
Many of Aesop’s Fables and stories from ancient mythology have good moral lessons for us today, and even nursery rhymes can be used for this.
Let’s consider this well known nursery rhyme.
Puzzy cat, Puzzy cat, where have you been?
I've been to London to visit the queen.
Puzzy cat, Puzzy cat, what did you there?
I frightened a little mouse, under the chair.
This cat had a purpose for going to London. He went there to visit the Queen. Now, probably he would also have planned to visit many historic places, museums, art galleries, London Bridge, Tower of London, Trafalgar Square - and many of the wonderful tourist attractions of London.
What did he do? He did what he had probably done every day of his life: he frightened a mouse.
Fancy actually being in London and doing nothing but ordinary everyday things and seeing nothing but a frightened mouse. He probably didn’t see the Queen or any of the planned activities.
So this leads me to ask a question or two:
What opportunities have we missed? How many times have we planned to do something and just got caught up in everyday activities and missed out on a great experience?
Do you regret not using opportunities you've had? Maybe you would like to share some.
2 people like this
3 responses
@dawnald (85135)
• Shingle Springs, California
17 Sep 09
OK here's one. Skiing. Richard was a skier when we met. He used to go with his friend Joe to Mammoth Mountain or with his brothers to Big Bear or one of the other Los Angeles area ski runs. I guess I could have asked him to teach me, but I wasn't all that interested and he never offered either. Somewhere along the way, his ski equipment deteriorated and he said he wasn't going to ski any more due to the high cost of everything, replacing the equipment, lift tickets, etc. I didn't think much of it at the time, though if he had remained interested in skiing, and if he had offered to teach me, I probably would have at least given it a go. Then I developed back problems and this physical therapist I was seeing said skiing would be one of the worst things for me. Years later, Richard told me that the real reason he gave up skiing was that I wasn't athletic and that he didn't want to do anything or ask me to do anything that would make me feel uncomfortable.
Now on the one hand, some of you guys are going to think, "awww, that's love, he was thinking of you." And I'm sure that there's a lot of truth in that.
But on the other hand, I wish he'd just come out and told me the real reason. Then I could have said either that I wouldn't mind trying it first or I could have said I had no interest. That was over 20 years ago, and I just don't feel right that he made the choice without including me in it.
That said, I don't know that I would have taken the opportunity either. I was awful persnickety at that age...
@cloudwatcher (6861)
• Australia
18 Sep 09
I think you would have at least tried. I know what you mean in saying he should have discussed it with you. Then you could have had the choice to try or not, or to tell him to go ahead anyway because that was his thing, and you might have another thing, and that was OK.
On that line, I regret not using an opportunity I had as a girl. I won several competitions in art while at school and an noted artist offered me free lessons. All I had to do was supply the paper, pencils etc. My mother said we couldn't afford it. I guessed I believed her, since my school workbooks were cut up envelopes, butcher paper etc sewn together. When I think of it now, I wonder how, just two years later, she was able to take a world trip. Past history.
You? Persnickety? No way!
1 person likes this
@cloudwatcher (6861)
• Australia
18 Sep 09
No regrets Dawn. I've used my art talents to good use over the years and they were quite enough for what I needed.
1 person likes this
@dawnald (85135)
• Shingle Springs, California
18 Sep 09
I tend to take people too literally and when he said he was done with it, I just let it go. I wish I had pushed, but oh well...
Ah, my friend the famous artist in another space time continuum...
Yep, shhh, don't tell but I can be ever so persnickety...
@Anniedup (3651)
• Richards Bay, South Africa
8 Sep 09
Although I didn't grow up with many English nursery rhymes my mother used to tell us a similar one in Afrikaans, and off course when I went to school I got to know this one. You are so right Angela there is a wonderful lesson to be learned from such a short and simple little rhyme.
I am not going to share any of my missed opportunities here lol !
But it is sometimes like going to the shop for milk and coming back with everything except milk :)
@cloudwatcher (6861)
• Australia
8 Sep 09
Annie you wouldn't do that!
You might bring back half the shop, but you'd remember the milk.
I'm not sharing my many, many missed opportunities either, but I do it so very often. I'm constantly telling myself "I should have . . . . "
@dawnald (85135)
• Shingle Springs, California
18 Sep 09
I know I'd remember the milk. If I forgot it, Cary would send me right back out for it! 
@bunnybon7 (50973)
• Holiday, Florida
7 Oct 09
What i think is very unfair is what happened when i was a child. my parents took me to Niagra falls when i was 7yrs. we had a limo ride and everything over a big bridge also where you could see the statue of liberty in the distance. i was way to young to enjoy or appreciate it
and i've never gotten the chance to do it again. im not only disabled now but havent the money to go on a vacation like that
and i've never gotten the chance to do it again. im not only disabled now but havent the money to go on a vacation like that@cloudwatcher (6861)
• Australia
7 Oct 09
Well, you have done something that I and many, many other people haven't done, but I know what you mean.
At least your parents took you with them. It seems most people leave their children at home when they go tripping. My mother went on a six months long world trip and left me at home on my own when I was 15 - but a few months before that she couldn't afford to keep me at school or to pay for paper and pencils for free art lessons for me from a famous artist.
Who knows what the future holds for you. Maybe one day you'll have an opportunity to do it again and appreciate it.
