Courage and Being First in Something

Courage. Good to have on the battlefield and in life. Recently, as I hauled yet another yowling cat to the vet, I received a sweet accolade from her about being good hearted. And then it hit me. I told her I wasn't good hearted, I just didn't have enough courage to face myself if I didn't do the right thing by this cat who was being tormented by the neighborhood boys. I just couldn't face myself and lie ... And, I think, that is courage of another sort. Interior courage of standing up for what I believe is the right thing to do, standing up against the societal pressure to fit in and let someone else take up the burden of doing the right thing. There is a fellow who called in to Car Talk yesterday making plans to be the first in something. He plans to hike across Death Valley Desert in the daytime. All of it 193 miles or so. He claimed there were no firsts left in the world. He wants so much to be first he is willing to risk his life and his fellow hikers as well. All I want is to be truly myself and that is a first for me. To do without making waves what is good for an individual cat or animal. Just to do. It is an interior first worthy of my aim. I hope the fellow's Death Valley trek works out ok. My only advice? Don't use online maps.

Until then, peace