A story about recognizing limitations.
The big orange striped cat leaped from the wall fence into the backyard. The agile movement was so smooth, it felt like it was made in slow motion.
Instantly, the young Doberman leaped towards the cat with a frenzy barking, pulling its long leash to its limit but was unable to reach the cat.
The cat was not in a hurry; it stood there for a moment studying the surroundings with the aura of supreme confidence. While the dog continues jumping and barking with frustration, pulling on the leash, retreating and trying again.
The cat just stood there watching; it was not impressed by the dog’s noisy acrobatics. It looked at the barking dog with contempt; a look that said it loud and clear. “You stupid dog, don’t you see you are on a leash. You can bark your heart out; but you can’t get me. And even if you get free, I’m faster and more agile than you. So, you keep on barking and waste energy. You see, a dog must know its limitations.”
Then the cat turned away slowly, walked to the brick fence, jumped over it like a great athlete, and disappeared.
But the young Doberman did not hear what the cat had said. It was busy barking, jumping and pulling on the leash. Now that the cat was out of sight, the barking took on a different tone. This time it conveyed clear disappointment, insisting that if not for the leash this cat would have been torn to shreds.
Personally, I agree with the cat; a dog must know its limitations. But I also was annoyed with the cat. I was sure it came by just to annoy the dog, and I would not be surprised if this was not the first time it did this to the poor creature.
Are the limitations in our life real, or can they be overcome?
Watch the video version on YouTube: click on the picture above