A Thing Made New

This summer my cat Olive has decided that the best place to be after a night of carousing in our neighborhood’s backyards and alleys is my writing chair. I’m a little fussy about my writing habit, and so at first I saw this intrusion as an unauthorized change to my regimen. I scooped her up and brought her to the back door and set her down on the stoop.

“Wouldn’t you rather be out there with the birdies and the mice?”

She turned straight around and went back to my chair.

There’s something about a cat’s choice that feels like the unquestionable desires of nature, the flow of life in a small, furry package. Working together took some coordination. She learned to flatten herself across my lap so my hands could reach the keyboard without obstruction. I learned to forget she was there – or rather, forget she had ever not been there. Her warmth and weight became another part of the environment I left behind as I disappeared into the story I was telling.

By 7:00 AM, it’s time for my second cup of coffee. On an impulse, I brought her with me one day and showed her the back door again. The sun was up, and the birds were chirping in the apple tree, and the yard was dappled in shadow and light. She pushed herself out of my arms and bounded away to do whatever it is cats do when they go with eagerness. I got my coffee and returned to work.

So this is my new regimen most mornings. Olive and I spend the first thirty minutes of my writing time together, and then she’s off. I tell myself it’s she who needs me – or at least my lap. She’s getting her dose of Bill, I told my wife. I know it contradicts everything I’ve learned about these most independent beasts, but there’s something about her sprint into the garden that reminds me of myself after a good morning of writing. The world is appealing again, a thing made new when seen in its friendliest light.

If you like the ideas and perspectives expressed here, feel free to contact me about individual coaching and group workshops.

Fearless Writing: How to Create Boldly and Write With Confidence.
You can find William at: williamkenower.com