Pet Memories
from the Just Because collection (2002-2006)
Other than keeping tropical fish when I was an adolescent, I have never willfully chosen to have a pet. In my ledger of pros versus cons, owning an animal always concludes with a big “No” because of the financial and daily responsibilities.
Pets can be more difficult to live with than children. At least children eventually grow up and leave home. Sometimes I am too analytical for my own good. Being efficient in this sense has got me into trouble. I will quickly suss out a situation and decide on a course of action. Haste does make waste, though, and I have to be reminded often that a slower response is sometimes advisable. On a recent trip with my fiancé to Toronto I purchased a roundtrip ticket from the airport to our hotel on an Airport Express bus. It seemed like the best value at the time considering such factors as luggage, time of travel, and location. The trip into the city went well and I carefully stored our return ticket in my wallet. I had weighed several options and believed I had made a good decision. I was feeling rather smug.
Not for long. Unfortunately, I underestimated the time needed to get back to the airport after our holiday was over. Added to that was the fact that the return bus was driven by a person who seemed ill-concerned about our pressing needs to get to the airport before our flight departed. There was nothing “express” about this return bus. As my anxiety level grew, my fiancé made a decision. We got off the bus. We jumped into the nearest taxi. Think of The French Connection. Oh la la Pepé Le Pew!!
After a 130 km/h eye-popping drive through busy traffic we were at our terminal, on time, but financially poorer.
Sometimes saving pennies loses dollars. Sometimes you can spend money with the best intentions and have a measure of success. For example, one of my fiancé’s cats had to go the vet recently. Cinder was ill and we didn’t know what was the matter. My lady had to find out for her own peace of mind. The diagnosis was costly. The outcome appeared terminal. Pets are a huge responsibility. When I first met my fiancé, she had three cats and I had a dog. One of the cats died before we combined families. I sent my dog to my West Coast son in an effort to relieve animal congestion in our home. We now have two cats sharing our space since Cinder got a second life. Some medicine and TLC for the next little while should give her a stronger constitution. I must admit that pets can fill an emotional space. Cinder seems to like me so I’m glad she lives another day.
Life can be scary. Whatever the species, I need all the friends I can get.