Living Life on Your Own Terms & the Meaning of Fleeting Encounters
In this new diary, Aragorn tells you why you shouldn't be too quick to judge others, why some relationships are not meant to last, and why it's not a bad thing.
Interesting things have been happening around here these past two weeks! We had a visitor – and no, it wasn’t the tiny hooman this time. It was a cat! Yes! You read that right – a cat. And I wasn’t hallucinating. Though Apricot probably wished he was. Either way, he would have been hiding in the wardrobe anyway, so not much of a difference if he was real or not
.But he was real! At first, I was a bit taken aback myself… how did he get here, and why was he here at all? Is he gonna stay? Was he dangerous? Was he gonna take my place?? And most importantly, was he cuter than me?!
I was soon to find all the answers to my questions because my curiosity was for once stronger than my fear (I guess I'm becoming more like Princ every day).
So, first - no, he surely wasn’t cuter than me. He was thin as a stick for one, so no belly to rub. I did have to admit though, he was charming and potentially handsome. And young. He just needed to put on a bit more weight.
They debated on his name for a long time and came up with some silly-sounding ideas like Eddie (which he made clear was a big no - and I don't blame him), Diego, Willy, or Charlie… Well, let's just say not everybody can be Aragorn, but I thought every cat deserves a dignified name that will grant him some respect. So yeah, keep trying…
At first, of course, all of us were startled and a little scared. For all kinds of different reasons – from territory matters to simply not knowing what to expect from this cat. I could tell though he didn’t enjoy his stay much. And I don’t blame him as Apricot kept hissing at him all the time. I tried to make it up to him and even head-butted him after just a couple of days, as well as let him eat next to me.
But he seemed to be a lone wolf more than anything else. So despite my trying to make him feel comfortable and make friends with him, he wasn’t too keen on that idea himself. That said, he never once hissed or attacked any of us. He seemed to be a really nice and gentle guy. Just wasn't keen on a company - surely not of other cats.
After a while, it turned out, that he actually prefers to live outside.
Now why would anyone choose cold, rain, dirt, and these days even snow, no comfy warm bed to take a nap in, no bowl full of food at all times, and no cuddles upon request, that is truly beyond me. But then again, I did mention he seemed young. So I thought he might be a bit of a fool too. Perhaps he considers it an adventure.
Or it simply suits him better.
I soon realized I may never understand his reasons, but we don’t need to understand why other cats or hoomans choose a certain way of life. One, that's so different from ours. It might be unconventional, it might be dangerous, and it might even seem foolish to us, and we would never want it for ourselves. But that doesn’t mean it’s bad. It’s just not for us.
And to be fair, his chosen way of life is pretty admirable. In fact, he might be a little bit of a hero of mine. And maybe, somewhere deep inside of me, there is a spark of jealousy too - of his young years and all he can see and do… And maybe that’s what made me judge him at first.
But the truth is, I am super happy where I’m at. And I wish for every cat or hooman, to be as happy as I am. And if what they need to be happy is a bit of mud and adventure… well, that’s their choice and their life. And I’m genuinely happy for them if that serves them.
Even if it meant, I had to say goodbye to my new friend whom I was getting used to having around...
But I’ve learned something else too in those past few days - and that is, that some cats or people come to your life not to stay, but just to deliver some kind of message or to walk the path with you for a little moment. But it's never a time wasted. Perhaps they came to your life to remind you of something you might have forgotten, perhaps to wake up something inside of you that’s been asleep for way too long. And perhaps, just so you can learn something from them or teach you a lesson.
And for me, it was definitely a bit of everything. Including the lesson of not judging anyone too quickly.
We are all different and we all have different needs. Some like company, some prefer to be alone - and no, they do not feel lonely at that. They just want their freedom.
No encounters in our lives are ever wasted. We all have a role to play.
So with that, I just hope my new friend is okay out there. And perhaps, we'll meet again one day. And if not, that's also okay. He will remain in my memories, and in a way, a part of me.
By the way, it seems they settled on a name for him at last – Denys Finch Hatton. Now, that is a pretty dignified name I must admit. It’s got a nice ring to it. Not quite like Aragorn, but it will do.