Small Town News
Two Feathers' plight with his shadow self
Email
Print
Copy"In the morning the shadows appear on the walls of the west side of the cave. In the evening they appear on the east walls. How can this be and what are those things we call shadows? They cannot be killed or caught, and the more we fight them the taller they get! They look something like a distorted image of me, but they have no faces and they change with the position of the sun, so they must not be of our world. Or are they?"
These are the thoughts of a half-grown cat, and maybe also the thoughts of the first ancestors of us all. How have we named the things around us, and are they really what they appear to be?
A couple of months ago someone new came to live in Rimrock. His name was Two Feathers, and he was just an 8-week-old kitten back then, but Two feathers has grown.
We learned how he had taken possession of an older retired couple and their tiny farm. He made servants of the humans and subordinates of the other animals in the family. The adult cat named Kateri, who already lived there, has had to learn that she is no longer the leader of this humble household. She has grudgingly surrendered her royal throne to the new younger sibling.
Two Feathers has taken control of the human's toes by biting them so they won't keep moving around so freely, along comes one of the giant cat shadow spirits. He has seen the mysterious cat spirit grow right before his eyes to as tall as 3 feet high on the wall right beside him.
It's a well-known fact that Two Feathers is a great and courageous warrior, but some of the world's greatest leaders have also suffered from the fear of things they failed to understand. Many of us have those same shortcomings that can stop us in the middle of our important tasks and consume all our attention. What are the mysterious shadows on our own lives?and sometimes cause us to reflect on our own talents and shortcomings. They are so lovable in their questioning of their own challenges. What can we learn from watching a cat grow?
One thing they show us is how stretching after every nap or quiet time makes us more limber and ready for anything that comes along. Playing is a part of learning new things, and trust is the key to any worthwhile relationship. It's good to love and appreciate family and let them know we love them. It's more fun to bring a smile to others than to scare them. If we imitate our cats and dogs more, we can have happier lives filled with purpose and great joy.
Copyright 2009 The Camp Verde Journal, Camp Verde, Arizona. All Rights Reserved. This content, including derivations, may not be stored or distributed in any manner, disseminated, published, broadcast, rewritten or reproduced without express, written consent from SmallTownPapers, Inc.
More from The Camp Verde Journal