There is such joy in pet-ownership. And while I'm sure that any animal, large or small, has the potential to provide increased happiness to those in its presence, there is something even more endearing about the ones that can actively participate in the owner's life (i.e. the felines and canines, in particular). Abbie is a profoundly beautiful little creature. My favorite part of the day is spending breakfast with her, which is becoming somewhat of a standard routine these days. In her grimalkin wisdom (or perhaps just from Pavlovian conditioning), she is well-attuned to the fact that my alarm clock is an excellent predictive indicator of my imminent awakening. She therefore provides supplemental encouragement, which includes plenty of walking all over my half-asleep body, purring seductively near my ear, gently pawing my face, and, a new trick as of late: jumping up on the bed, onto me, back onto the floor, and running a lap around the room (it's unclear from where this burst of energy originates). Once I have roused myself and provided her food, started the water for tea, and showered, she is sufficiently contented by her morning meal to grace my breakfast preparations with her expressions of gratitude (though I'm beginning to suspect that these seemingly kindhearted gestures are merely a plea for more food). When I am finally able to sit at my dining table and eat, she always joins me, usually more subdued at this point (or perhaps just aware that it is my turn for breakfast), stopping to sniff at my tea and settling down on one of my matted placemats. And she sits with me, like a little ball of fur, just watching me, as if mutual eye-contact were a form of dialogue, an early-morning inter-species discussion. When I finish my bowl of oatmeal and arrive at a stopping point in my book, I will oftentimes just sit with her, quietly, and enjoy her presence. It's the best part of my day.
But really, my reason for writing all of this was an excuse to post this video, which had been mentioned to me several times (by several people) over the past couple of weeks. Plus the address is given by David Foster Wallace, author of the essay I am currently reading ("
A Supposedly Fun Thing I Will Never Do Again"):
