Good (and I mean "GOOD") ol' US of A--and a P-S. !!!
I lost a cat, my talking, almost-human cat, the 'creature' (I can't say "person" but I should) I have been talking to and with the most for the last eight months (my wife now travels extensively for her work). Anyway, my darling companion goes, by accident, right through the screen of a screened-in porch from his favorite corner. And I discover that two hours too late...
And of course, I can't find him, fliers, neighbors, vets, shelters, you name it. And I still have not found him and have a bad, sad feelign about this. If he is alive, may he have found love and comfort elsewehre, if that is what it has to be... Maybe he will reappear ... one day...
But the part I wish to talk about is how out of this came up a very positive remnant of the "Good Ol' US of A" we all remember so well, and miss all too often in these times of war, mass murders, excesses, debatable cultural icons (Paris, Brit, Lindsay), etc.
When you lose a pet, the local paper runs an ad for free for one week; so does the local ad paper (the Ad-Pak); so do a TV station, a radio station, some places will even xerox and run copies for you (that one may have been due to my own obvious affection for my cat and .. maybe .. personal charm???). But THIS, is the America I knew: the humanitarian, the human and humane, the concerned, the responsive, the "nice" one, the one that said: "the prime real estate in New York City, we will donate for the United Nations," the Peace Corps and aid type, the one that you could count on on to help, do the right thing (yeah, yeah, I know, we also meddled and watched out for ourselves, OK, we are not completely stupid, yes, no one really is, consciously or not, let's be real....)
Anyway, that little piece of "freebie" if you wish to call it so, gave me hope. Thought I would share this little positive discovery...
Now, I'd love to have my feline companion back, the previous one was with me over 21 years (yes, twenty-one, yes, a cat, I know cats, I treat them well, I understand them)- You want people to be nice to you? Treat them well first, then you'll see they'll treat you in kind. Cats are people too....
Burt I guess I have already had my miracle for the year (see the Easter posting), and so, that is how things are, I guess.. sniff..
post-scriptum, 2 days later: Of course, I forgot.... REALITY!!!
The radio station tells you that of course they'll air the spot (the manager even confirms) but the DJ is in charge and he confirms that... they'll air it IF they can, when they can, but "no promises, you know, program needs first, really sorry, we'll try..."
The newspaper "overlooks" the free ad the first day the ad is to be published, apologizes, and then it does not appear either the second day (today) --thanks, that way, the weekend is lost for potential help identifying the lost kitty in someone's backyard or neighborhood and a cat with a kidney problem might burst it by now... If I had been told, I would have paid for the ad and by now maybe (just maybe, who knows? you know...) maybe the ad would be out and I could save the cat's life, thanks! [In the end, the ad did appear, for free, YES, true! And later... so did the cat, on morning number 6, at the exact same time as he disappeared through the screen (He must have eaten a swiss watch on the way out....]
The TV Station in fact does not do it any more, you know, too many lost pets, blablabla.
BUT they all remain on the list and hand out of the shelter, where I am going back this morning, and the shelter will tell you they don't really want to make a stick, reflect reality behind the deceptive advertizing of humanity and caring, and antagonize posislbe sponsors or helpers for their shows and fund-raising events, fairs, etc. in favor of lost pets and so the handout remains andthe false advertizing.....
Yeap, Good Ol' US of A. The surface and the depth... facade and reality... the good, the bad and the ugly (and I know it is an Italian western, that fits: things are not as they appear!!!) Even if the motto of North Carolina, Esse quam videri, is precisely "to be rather than to seem"....
Sad. Thanks, guys, I had my hopes up, you got them up,.. and now down. and shall I come bury the cat in the front lawn of your corporate offices or headquarters ?
IF I ever find the body... Cats die privately, under bushes, etc.. but someone may have found him and already put him in the trashcart...
Or maybe he will show one of those amazing resilencies cats are famous for, kidneys or not...
And of course, I can't find him, fliers, neighbors, vets, shelters, you name it. And I still have not found him and have a bad, sad feelign about this. If he is alive, may he have found love and comfort elsewehre, if that is what it has to be... Maybe he will reappear ... one day...
But the part I wish to talk about is how out of this came up a very positive remnant of the "Good Ol' US of A" we all remember so well, and miss all too often in these times of war, mass murders, excesses, debatable cultural icons (Paris, Brit, Lindsay), etc.
When you lose a pet, the local paper runs an ad for free for one week; so does the local ad paper (the Ad-Pak); so do a TV station, a radio station, some places will even xerox and run copies for you (that one may have been due to my own obvious affection for my cat and .. maybe .. personal charm???). But THIS, is the America I knew: the humanitarian, the human and humane, the concerned, the responsive, the "nice" one, the one that said: "the prime real estate in New York City, we will donate for the United Nations," the Peace Corps and aid type, the one that you could count on on to help, do the right thing (yeah, yeah, I know, we also meddled and watched out for ourselves, OK, we are not completely stupid, yes, no one really is, consciously or not, let's be real....)
Anyway, that little piece of "freebie" if you wish to call it so, gave me hope. Thought I would share this little positive discovery...
Now, I'd love to have my feline companion back, the previous one was with me over 21 years (yes, twenty-one, yes, a cat, I know cats, I treat them well, I understand them)- You want people to be nice to you? Treat them well first, then you'll see they'll treat you in kind. Cats are people too....
Burt I guess I have already had my miracle for the year (see the Easter posting), and so, that is how things are, I guess.. sniff..
post-scriptum, 2 days later: Of course, I forgot.... REALITY!!!
The radio station tells you that of course they'll air the spot (the manager even confirms) but the DJ is in charge and he confirms that... they'll air it IF they can, when they can, but "no promises, you know, program needs first, really sorry, we'll try..."
The newspaper "overlooks" the free ad the first day the ad is to be published, apologizes, and then it does not appear either the second day (today) --thanks, that way, the weekend is lost for potential help identifying the lost kitty in someone's backyard or neighborhood and a cat with a kidney problem might burst it by now... If I had been told, I would have paid for the ad and by now maybe (just maybe, who knows? you know...) maybe the ad would be out and I could save the cat's life, thanks! [In the end, the ad did appear, for free, YES, true! And later... so did the cat, on morning number 6, at the exact same time as he disappeared through the screen (He must have eaten a swiss watch on the way out....]
The TV Station in fact does not do it any more, you know, too many lost pets, blablabla.
BUT they all remain on the list and hand out of the shelter, where I am going back this morning, and the shelter will tell you they don't really want to make a stick, reflect reality behind the deceptive advertizing of humanity and caring, and antagonize posislbe sponsors or helpers for their shows and fund-raising events, fairs, etc. in favor of lost pets and so the handout remains andthe false advertizing.....
Yeap, Good Ol' US of A. The surface and the depth... facade and reality... the good, the bad and the ugly (and I know it is an Italian western, that fits: things are not as they appear!!!) Even if the motto of North Carolina, Esse quam videri, is precisely "to be rather than to seem"....
Sad. Thanks, guys, I had my hopes up, you got them up,.. and now down. and shall I come bury the cat in the front lawn of your corporate offices or headquarters ?
IF I ever find the body... Cats die privately, under bushes, etc.. but someone may have found him and already put him in the trashcart...
Or maybe he will show one of those amazing resilencies cats are famous for, kidneys or not...
Labels: lost cats, positive USA
posted by kingba at 8:26 AM
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