Curious

There are few things that annoy me like a cat's wet nose on my elbow. Distracting, on purpose.

I watched a movie at home tonight. My friend Rhys at work gave an expression of vague discomfort when I mentioned the title. I don't see why. Tears came up as I watched, but that could have been the one beer. I only allow one beer in the house at a time. I didn't identify with the characters, they were different from me and my life, but I did feel what they were saying and thinking, the messages were messages I could hear in myself and in my life.

Bug was in a funny mood. Came and sat with his back to me on the floor in front of my chair and then looked at the ceiling and kept turning to look at me over his shoulder. "Meow." He doesn't talk much so this was notable. The patio door was open and the screen was letting cool, humid air in, and the ceiling fan seemed to attract Bug's attention. He sat on the dining room table looking up at it. I could not see the usual moth or insect that might dance in the light of the fixture, I could see his attention was on the fan blade itself as he swiveled his head around in matching circles to follow its motion.

The movie was in the middle, and in my peripheral vision I saw some little white round feather like shape pass from the coffee table into the unlit fireplace, and Bug saw it too, jumping from the coffee table in front of me to look behind Kim's stain-glass that hangs as the fireplace cover. I have an extra laserprint photo of Kim that I like pinned up on the front edge of the mantle, using one of those thumb tacks left over from her decorations always strung up there at Christmas time. The paper blew back and forth as clearly as if a gust of wind was puffed right on it. I felt at ease with this gentle presence that Bug was pursuing and continued with my attention on the movie.

Out of the right corner of my eye, peripherally, I distinctly noticed that white feather shape dart from in front of me to around the end of the couch across from me. Bug was on the floor behind my chair, watching. "Meow," he said as I turned and we looked at each other. Looking across the space of the room, I asked "...Are you here?..." I felt at ease with the response and continued with my movie.

Some wonderful lines in this movie. Here are some, I wrote a few down. Can you guess what movie they are from?

Funny thing about coming home. It looks the same, feels the same, smells the same. You realize what's changed is you.

Our lives are defined by opportunities, even the ones we miss.

We have to trust each other.

Did I ever tell you I've been struck by lightening seven times? One time I was just walking my dog down the road. I'm blind in one eye, can't hardly hear. Get the shakes out of nowhere. But you know what? God keeps reminding me I'm lucky to be alive. ... Storm's coming.

You can be mad as a mad dog at the way things went. You can swear and curse the fates. But when you come to the end, you have to let go.

You never know what's coming for you.

Oh, no. I've done it again, it's nearly midnight. Gotta go.

Good night.