A cat
I met a friend for lunch. Then we decided on where to eat and started walking. On our way to the café we passed a cat sitting in a window. It was a quirky dry cleaning shop. I stopped to make a few shots. The cat glanced at me momentarily, then looked away. The cat must have thought,
“She can do her thing and I will do mine. We are separated by glass anyway. I am cozy inside and she is outside in the cold and the rain.”
Although I cannot really speak for the cat that was its demeanour. Beyond the separating glass is a totally different world – one that is not always cozy and warm. However, we were warm after entering the café. We were also delighted by the beautiful Christmas decorations which definitely made the environment cozy.
Random thoughts
When the pleasantries were over – my friend and I started to discuss the state of the world. To be honest, it is not one of my favourite subjects lately. Actually, I’ve felt this way since the pandemic. I sense that there is more division and some people feel as though it is necessary to take a side or a stance. There is no middle ground anymore. I never know where some conversations will lead. There is so much happening in our world right now – there is always something to discuss. We hear of wars, climate change, inflation, disease, poverty etc. Some of us are directly affected or indirectly. I think we all want the same for the world. To live in peace and hope that human dignity can be maintain and/or achieved for everyone. We have enough to deal with as humans, just going through life. The daily news seems full of negativity. Even if we turn away from the media – we are still impacted anyway.
My seemingly controversial view is that we cannot change many things – so we just need to keep on living - taking care of ourselves and our loved ones the best way we can. We also need to remain positive. Most of the issues are out of our sphere of influence or control. This way of thinking might seem simplistic but it is not because I am being dismissive or trivial. It is because there really isn’t much I can do. My friend said that she was worried about the state of the world. I think I am concerned but not worried. Worrying takes away the joy of the moment and does not take away the problem. As a result, the problem is still there tomorrow. Therefore, why should one use their energy to worry? Have you ever worried about something and then realise that had you known all the facts then there would be nothing to worry about?
One of the things that became apparent during our conversation was that we both were informed but the facts were not always the same. There seems to be a lot of confusion – either she was or I was? It is clear that accuracy in this Information age can be an issue. Actually, I am not sure what is worse - information overload or being misinformed. These are the times we are living in. A time when alternative facts became a phrase. 😀 Hence, it is not easy to determine who or what is right or wrong. It is good though that some people want to be informed and some would like to know the truth – not only talking points. At least with my friend – we could agree to disagree on some world issues.
Heavy lunch
We looked at the menu and my friend decided to choose liver with bacon and onions. I have not had that dish for ages. I decided to have it as well.
We certainly agreed on what to eat. Now this is not a meal for everyone – I think it is an acquired taste. I wonder who else likes livers? Are we in the minority? The portions were served with fries and was really a lot for lunch. We enjoyed our meal but could not finish it.
Soon our conversation became much lighter – a good contrast to the heavy meal. On our walk back, we saw the cat still sitting in the window – looking totally oblivious to us passersby. The cat reminded me that some people are also oblivious to what is happening in the world. Is that better? Hmm I still believe knowledge is important. However, knowledge can be overwhelming sometimes; then we do not feel empowered by being informed.
In the end, it is what we do with the acquired knowledge that will determine whether it's truly powerful or burdensome. It is good to remain aware but not absorbed by the things of the world. I will argue that there is still a lot of beauty and good in the world. I wish that this was the case everywhere and for everyone though.
All photos are my own
