Complex Numbers

Catfall

You want me... ME... to venture... shudder... outside?

PROMPT July 10th

Go somewhere outside or where you can observe the happenings of the world beyond the walls of your home (looking out a window is fine). Spend at least five minutes watching and listening. What do you see, hear, and smell? Where does your mind wander when you sit quietly?

My housemate's cat was resting peacefully on the edge of the deck around sunset. Contented in the fading last light of afternoon, she rolled over in her sleep, and...

Well. You can imagine.

The cat's fine, of course. While it's not true that cats always land on their feet, she's just a little thing and she landed in a soft spot. Consequently, it made me laugh my ass off.

Yeah, I was outside. I joke about staying indoors all the time, but in the heat of summer, I like to sit on my deck with my laptop. Thus, I'm outdoors even now that it's midnight and the mild breeze from the inky blackness has cooled things off to just above indoor temperature. I'd expected the sharp trill of cicadas this summer, but no, all I hear are the trucks rolling by on the interstate, and the occasional friendly bump in the night.

But I like the heat of day. I like it better when the sun isn't in my face and I can see the screen better, but I'd be perfectly content with a lifetime of days between 75 and 95 F like these past few days have been. I'd even allow it to rain on occasion, but preferably while I'm asleep.

Guess I should move to Hawaii, huh?

Admittedly, it's preferable for me to have an air-conditioned indoors to retreat to on occasion, which is what I have now. But I certainly refuse to complain about the heat after suffering through sub-freezing temperatures in the winter.

But the cat's fall felt to me like a metaphor. There you are, happy and relaxed, and then you perform some seemingly innocent action like rolling over in your catnap and, next thing you know, your claws are scrabbling for purchase on the rough wood, purchase that they are doomed never to find, and then you're falling, falling.

Hopefully you land on your feet, but there's no guarantee.

There never is.