Intro: Pounding bass note and a stirring fanfare of horns. Welcome to another edition of Things to Think about. Here's Stacy. The horns continue with a keyboard note held.
Relaxing piano music is in the background.
Welcome to the Things to Think About podcast, where we use fables and fairy tales to come to deeper truths about our subconscious world. I'm Stacy Casson. And today's story explores our fears. What if something goes wrong? What if everything is okay? We will dive into this topic in detail I call ‘Scaredy Cat.’ And now, get comfortable and relax. Take a deep breath in.
And exhale. A deep breath in and exhale. A deep breath in and exhale. And if you'd like, you can slowly close your eyes.
Once upon a time, there was a cat looking for trouble. Grizz lived a very comfortable life. Its owners were kind and it had a large home with tons of carpet, and scratching posts and toys. As it trapped, tapped on the treat machine. One of them got stuck. Grizz jumped back as it made a whirring sound. "Was the benevolent treat adversary out for blood? There was a gentle ‘pop’ and then the treats came out. Grizz sniffed them nervously. What if they were poisoned? What if the treat God decided to stop blessing Grizz with treats? Grizz pace back and forth and then would sniff at the little fish-shaped pellets, gingerly patted them and they did not attack. "I don't wanna die," Grizz thought "they smell so delicious." Grizz ate a treat and then waited for the poison to take effect. Miraculously, it remained unharmed. Grizz greedily gulped down the rest, worried that they would be the last bit of goodness to come.
Grizz looked guiltily at the curtains. They were beautiful sunny yellow brocade and brighten the room. The tear in the fabric was a gaping maw reminding Grizz of its failure. "Stupid, stupid, stupid ," it yowled softly. Flattening down, it snuck up on the curtains slowly and with caution. Its owners had bought a scratching post for every room. Still, Grizz had felt the urge to feel the curtains, and it stood up on its hind legs, pressing them against the wall. It was only supposed to last a moment. Grizz would touch the curtains satisfy its curiosity and no one would be the wiser. That is until its claws got stuck. In trying to escape Grizz had ripped the material and its wild rush to free itself. Maybe the Treat God also liked the curtain. “My owners hate me. I'm sure of it. I'm a bad kitty. They're probably going to lock me in the cage and toss me in the ocean.” Grizz hid under the bed in case they were looking for him.
“Grizz? Are you okay?” It was Drippy. It's annoyingly optimistic roommate. “I'm fine”, said Grizz. “You don't look fine to me. You always go under the bed when you're scared. Is it the 'my owners hate me' stick?” “They do hate me, Drippy” Grizz protested. “I'm a bad cat. I destroy everything I touch. I don't deserve to live in this nice house and have all these toys and treats.” Drippy nudged Grizz with its nose. “Come on, Grizz if they hated you, why would they feed you? The soft one lets you sit in its lap and pets you.” Grizz cocked an eye at Drippy. “They're biding their time. When I let my guard down, they will send me to swim with the fishes.” “Is that true?” “Grizz remember the time I accidentally broke your squeaky toy? Do you hate me and want me to swim with the fishes?” Grizz shook its head. “No Drippy. You're pretty cool for a dog.” “If you can forgive me, don't you think our owners can forgive you?”
Grizz crawled out from under the bed and then padded over to its bed. It was a miniature couch and was so comfortable. Grizz curled into a little ball and looked at the room. The owners had never let them go hungry. And their water bowl was a miraculous tiny indoor river that always tasted fresh. It switched its tail back and forth. It was a little crooked from when the loud one had stepped on it when Grizz was trying to get its attention. Grizz had yowled at the top of its lungs and ran away. It remembered the humans bringing catnip toys as a peace offering. Maybe they don't hate me What if I was wrong about them? Maybe Drippy is right. I am too hard on myself. Grizz stretched out clawing the scratchpad conveniently placed near the bed. Maybe everything that goes wrong is not a catastrophe, it mused. What if I tried to be more like Drippy? Drippy is such a good dog. Something dangled near its eyes. Grizz pounced into the unknown.
When things go wrong, do you pile on and blame yourself? Is it true? Maybe you can teach an old cat new tricks. And now you can take a deep breath in and exhale. A deep breath in and exhale. Deep breath in and exhale. And when you're ready, wiggle your toes. Wiggle your fingers and slowly open your eyes. If you're enjoying this podcast, please tell a friend.
Closing: Closing jazzy keyboard and thrumming bass. Hope you enjoyed today's segment. Tell a friend. See you next time. Music fades.
