The Sandbox

[Gregory Matthews]

                                                                              Fun and Games In The Sandbox
                                                                                                           by
                                                                                                    CatsMeow

Anyone who knows cats is aware that cats have an affinity for sand. The more refined the sand, the more pure the sand, the stronger the attraction. Certain male cats, the Tom-Kats, take to an extreme their commitment to define what sand is suitable for use in their sandbox. These sand connoisseurs have set themselves apart from the ordinary sandbox cats. They have proclaimed themselves sandbox judges, and have taken on the added, and to them, the more significant, higher level office of sandbox guardians. The set apart Tom-Kats, who specialize in the care and grooming of fine sand, came to establish an old-cat association whose purpose and function is to protect their sandbox. They affirm, to any who will listen, that what the association does to, what they determined is their sandbox, is for the other cats’ good. This Tom-Cat dominated fraternity, after much heated debate, selected a name: The Great Cats- Bucco Society, (“Bucco” as in cheek or “cheeky”).

As time went along, and events transpired, the Tom-Kats began to take pride in their ability to select the most desirable and functional sandboxes. They were keen observers of how the prevailing winds affected the sand in their box, and gave close study to the absorbent qualities of the various sands. The Tom-Kats took especial care that their unique sandbox was not contaminated or habituated by the Not-Tom Cats. From the first, it was obvious, even to the casual observer, that the Tom-Kats consistently self-selected the other Tom-Cats to be part of their association. This bent to self-perpetuate stood in contrast to the Tom-Kat’s often stated claim that their selection to the high office was by a thoroughly democratic process.

The Tom-Kats, while acknowledging that the Not-Toms, the lesser ones, had a place, they were self-satisfied that their guild admitted only Toms. When questioned on this arrangement, the Toms howled and, with deep feeling, expressed their profound respect for the Not-Toms and let all know that they appreciated the Not-Toms and assured any who would listen, that the Not-Toms indeed had a place. That place, persisted the Toms, was not in the Tom’s sandbox! Whenever any of the other cats dared challenge this doctrine, the Toms were vigorous to say, to any who would listen, that what they were doing was according to nature’s plan and in keeping with what cats had always believed and practiced. They refined their arguments and strategies. The Not-Toms, so went their well-rehearsed spiel, could not be trusted to understand cat systems and practices. “The Not-Toms,” propounded one Tom, “cannot ‘mark’ boundaries, and, if provided opportunity, might twist a Tom’s tail.” The mention of such possibilities brought forth a chorus of strident hisses and yowls from all the assembled Tom-Kats.

All would have been well and good had not an unexpected anomaly developed in the carefully constructed and perpetually guarded sandbox. The precise process lies hidden in the sands of time. What can be said, without fear of contradiction, is that the Tom’s territory was transgressed by a Not-Tom. No one with certainty can explain how this intrusion happened. It matters not the process. The frightening and distressful result was that a Not-Tom cat was found among the Toms. This created a sand-storm like never before. The cat world was under threat, proclaimed the Toms. Their sandbox had been violated. Their world was discombobulated, no doubt of that. Their sandbox, their safe zone, was violated. Now the questions that consumed every Tom were, “What next? Is nothing sacred?”

The Toms met in conference. A plethora of ideas was batted about. “We can gang up and declaw this intruder,” stated one. “We can, with kindness and a soft voice, gently rub the Not-Tom’s sides, get the Not Tom to purr, and politely request the Not-Tom do what is right, and

leave,” suggested another Tom. At last, one Tom, one who considered himself Top Tom, came up with the solution that all the Toms, by common purr, adopted: We’ll ignore the Not Tom. If we ignore the Not-Tom, the Not-Tom does not exist! That’s the answer! The invisible barrier will do it. “What an ingenious and throughly mature idea this is,” declared the Tom-Kats in unison. And they, with haste, formed a parade around their sandbox. They raised their meows to a higher pitch on each round of the box and proclaimed, to any who would listen, “The Not-Tom does not exist!”. “The Not-Tom does not exist,” all the while batting about the ball of string that, in triumph, was pulled for all to swat at, by Top-Tom himself.

And so it was, that as the Toms marched about their sandbox, the Not-Tom-cat did leave the toms to play and do other things associated with a cat’s sandbox. The Not-Tom went out to do what cats do best: catch mice and allow humans to share life with the Not-Tom. And what of the Toms? The Toms were too caught up in their protests and marching to notice that the sand in their box had, for the most part, blown away, and that which was left, had become far from desirable. The other cats set about their work and left the Toms to theirs. For all anyone knows, the Toms, and Top Tom, are, to this day, playing with their toys in the now-empty sandbox, oblivious to the world about them, as they proclaim in unison to all who will hear, “The Not-Tom does not exist.” The other cats know otherwise!

 

NOTE:   I am not the author of this article.  I do not write that well--GM.

[aka]

It was certainly delightful reading! I enjoyed the cloak of metaphor surrounding the sentences. David, yes of course all is possible to apply en masse to our Forum community.