Call me crazy, but..................

You might remember how Fred came into our lives, by joining us for a short jog on a cold day. He continues to do this from time to time, always stopping at the end of the street. I bought him a cute little (elastic) collar, but he hates it and prefers to roam as a, "Don't fence me in kind of cat."

The night before last Fred joined us when we took the two dogs for a walk around the block. I kinda thought he would stop at the corner, but he followed us down and around. Strange as it might sound, he was really walking with us. He didn't wander into yards, or exhibit other cat behaviors, simply followed us about two to three feet behind the entire way.

Now the best part... When we arrived back at our house, Fred stopped at the neighbors and did his business, just like he had been taking walks and relieving himself during the course of the walk forever! I am not sure which my youngest thought more incredulous, that Fred was accompanying us on our walk or the fact that she "Had to clean up after a cat, don't they use litter boxes?"

Maybe the reason Fred fits in so well around here is that in our house all of the stereotypical rules are blurred. We don't really work on a system of "this is my job and that is your job," we all just sort of pitch in and do what needs doing. While I purchase both dog and cat food, all of them eat what is out, and our girl dog, Emma has been known to jump her cat sister, Franny from time to time in a show of dominance. Now, I am not saying I am proud of this, just that it is what it is, and I am okay with it.

Have you ever wondered how many of these behavior rules got set up in the first place? My guess is it started for some one's benefit. Often something will start out as a working idea and end up being touted as gospel. Take relationships for example. One is not suppose to be friends with their boss. I get this might be a bad idea if the boss needs to discipline the friend regarding a work matter, but I have been here with a "friend" that accepted a management position. It was touch and go for a while until we figured out how we were suppose to act within the new dynamic. Looking back on the situation (being the model employee and all) I can no longer see the need for what I then believed we should change.

And then we have the more intimate relationships. Boys are suppose to date girls and vice-versa. Only a male and female are allowed the benefits of marriage. One's relationship really isn't intimate unless it is sexual. Are you reading between the lines that I no longer want to follow these rules? Sorry to disappoint you I am content where, and with whom I am with. But I will go on to say one of the most intimate relationships I ever had was with a female back in high school, and NO! We didn't have sex. But we sure did share. We wrote letters to one another daily, cried together over our joys AND disappointments, held nothing back from one another. I don't know that I have ever been that open and honest with anyone since.

For a time between marriages I also shared a house with another female and her two sons. We were partners in every since of the word, again except the sex, but don't you know lots of married couples that don't have sex? Because we didn't have a marriage license we couldn't share insurance benefits or family discounts even though we were living as a family. Something is wrong with that picture in my view.

How did a cat behaving like a dog turn into a discussion on what constitutes the correct relationship? Don't ask me... All I am saying is, having been married and divorced twice (and now married again), I have to admit that a ceremony and the blessing of the state was not enough to constitute a healthy, lasting union. Marriage is much more than a piece of paper, and yet many benefits are denied couples that exemplify the love and mutual respect that a marital union should have, because they are not allowed to have the coveted piece of paper and all that that piece of paper grants. Who are any of us to say what is right for anyone but ourselves? If we happen to be born into the body of a cat why oh why is it so strange to want to go for an evening walk with one's family? What is the harm? Is it really taking anything away from any other dog?

The time has come in our world to practice tolerance and acceptance. Period! No one person has all the answers and no one person can make judgement calls for the good of all. The beauty of the human spirit is that we are all different. It is time that we all stop trying to fit ourselves into the same four or five square pegs. The world will not come to an end because we agree to live and let live. In fact the destruction of the world will come out of trying to make others believe in what we believe in. Think about it. I am done preaching for now...