I have had these little metal kitties forever- I think they originally were in the cupboard in Auntie Lou's dining room. I suspect they are tin, or more likely, lead. I suspect that at one time they were colored...but now only a bit of red paint clings to the collar. Once upon a time I played with them by watching- this is a unique talent of mine.
As a child, everyone knows the rule 'look-don't-touch'. For Grendel, I would say 'art show rules' and he put his hands in his pockets. ( in breakable places- nothing much in house was off limits to him unless the paint was wet).... I respected the objects of others, but that doesn't mean that I didn't want to play with them. So I invented playing-by-watching. PBW is done by intently studying something, and imaging vividly what you would do with it if you *could* play with it. Kinda like photoshop for the mind. As an adult, I still do it all the time- it's a great entertainment when stuck in places that are dull but you have to stay there and be mannerly. Redecorate the room in your head. Figure out how the waiting room could be warmer, more comfortable, fun for kids. Make up stories about people. Inhabit the room with imaginary creatures or conversations that happen when humans aren't around. (I had a recent chance to practice this during 'teacher torture'. Teacher torture is the state-mandated proctoring of tests. What that means is you spend THREE HOURS doing NOTHING but watching the kids take bubble-sheet tests. You have to stay on your feet, circle the room like a silent shark. No reading, no drawing, no paperwork, nada but observation. And your not allowed to even LOOK at the test.)
Anyway, this post has meandered off into associations- I meant to write about luna-cat who I brought home to practice with for the weekend. As in practicing do-I-want-a-cat? I'm not really a cat person, I love my big goofy doggs, but these mice have got to go. And cats can be nice.....
No comments:
Post a Comment