*Sigh* I am at a crossroad here. It is time for me to decide whether to work harder or to throw in the towel.
What to do? Which road to take?
In a way, I got a hint last evening, which suddenly hit me this morning. On my way home from town, I saw a bit larger than basketball sized (imagine a flat basketball) snapping turtle (Chelydra serpentina) making her way across a busy street in town. There are many reasons that a snapping turtle will not get across the road. One is just by virtue of who she is. People are afraid of them and for some reason just don't like them very much. There are drivers who will run them over. Not me, I have a soft spot for them. Yes, I like and respect a snapping turtle.
I stopped the car, picked her up by the tail and moved her across the road. Her tail was cool, dry, and looked almost prehistoric. She never even snapped. I think she was surprised to be lifted off the ground. Oddly, when I got back in the car, the feel of that tail lingered on my hand. Not sure how many people saw me do it. Pretty sure that many would think I was crazy.
Anyway, the more I thought of it, she reminded me of myself.
(I did not take a picture, just found this on the web.)
Ok, I will admit it. I am a softy. I try not to be, I try to be tough, but there are things that tug at my heart when I least expect it. For instance, a certain little feral kitty that tumbled into my life recently. The whole time I was trying to help her be healthy, I told the vet and the people at the vet's office that no, I do not even want a cat, especially this little beast. I was just trying to help a little one who needed it.So I did just that. I helped a little helpless beast for almost one month. Sometimes it felt like it was hopeless and other times, there were little glimmers of hope.
Well today was the pay off. The little kitty who would have been just a little dust pile alongside the road by now is well on her way to being a spoiled, much-loved pet. I let her go today to people who I have no doubt will love her as much as I ended up loving her. I let her go with one big kiss and yes, tears. Tears for a kitty who was brought back from the brink. The tears were more out of happiness and relief that all the time I spent mattered. And that my efforts helped her become a healthy, mischevious, zippy kitten.
Hey little Honey Badger, little Marguerita, thanks for spending time with me in August. You are my kind of scrappy girl. You made me happy. Now, go and make your new people happy. You lucked out little thing. Be a good girl.
Don't you love when you hear an old song that takes you back? REO Speedwagon (yes, I know that they are now played on the "Oldies" stations) was playing as we zoomed through the darkness on the way home from football last night. Just for a little while, I was back in my younger days. Going to have to start listening to more oldies and less talk radio!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGgLPriZUSA
