Thomas Rowlandson:
Doctor Syntax drawing after nature (1812)

" … that conversation could also be pure projection."

Talking with animals seems rather like talking with God. It's only troublesome when the animals start talking back, though those of us dedicated to this practice often receive responses from our partners. I do not care if these responses come from my projections or if I only imagine a conversation occurring. I receive my intended result. I feel more connected, which might be close to the whole purpose of human existence. A person isn't always available or amenable to civil discourse, while most animals agreeably absorb whatever observation I might care to share with them. Even my friend Caroline's dog Banjo, who, strictly speaking, was never a scrupulous listener, seems to appreciate my comments as he attempts to whip me into submission with his tail. He's exuberant whenever company arrives.

I swear that the primary reason I'm a cat person must be their willingness to listen. Cats are much better listeners than they'll ever be speakers, though there are exceptions, notable for the more usual absence of anything other than an aside rumble. Cats can get verbal; those yowls come in various guises, some denoting extreme satisfaction and others, quite similar, which might mean the polar opposite. My cats often yowl in delight as if initiating a conversation with me. I sometimes lose my patience with their intransigence, but their yowling usually draws me into some interaction, if only to goose me into calling one of them a woozlehead. I try to be responsive, though I sometimes wonder if they're only trying to manipulate my generosity. Molly can usually extort a few treats even if she's just eaten. I'm unctuous in her presence.

Max, who has become a champion lap sitter this Winter, has also become somewhat of a confidant. There's little for me to do when he stretches to full length, from my belly to my ankles, other than stroke his sleek form and engage in some small talk with him. Max will never receive a Ph.D. in Philosophy or any closely related field. Still, he listens well, even when I suspect he should be experiencing difficulty hearing me over his incessant purring. I do not usually require responses when I enquire. I might be speaking to myself with him poised in earshot, but I prefer to think it's not so simply described. He sometimes flinches when I mention something particularly important, and even when he's mute or … dozing … he oozes reassurance. He has mastered a quieting confidence.

I seem to immediately speak to any strangers. Squirrels get at least a greeting, and sometimes a semi-lengthy appreciation, for ours are acrobats and engage in dizzying combats, often drawing the cats' attention, too. They try but never catch them. They have plenty to say to them as they scramble up a tree trunk while their prey easily slips out of reach and away. Whenever I encounter an animal when I'm on a walk, I usually offer some greeting, some comment, even if it's just a "Hello, bird," in passing. I think it civic-minded to speak with strange animals and also a useful defensive strategy. Should I encounter a pitbull running loose with a spiky MAGA collar, I will attempt to mollify it with a feigned, light-hearted patter. I know for sure that animal wants to eat my face, but a certain decorum seems warranted even when—perhaps especially when—in near mortal danger. It never killed anyone to attempt civility, at least not immediately.

The conversation continues, even when it's just me asking, "How's our beautiful girl cat faring?" She seems to appreciate the greeting and will sometimes even interrupt her strutting to rub her body along my shins, mugging for a bit of head scratching. You'll never convince me that I'm experiencing projection there. I am not controlling her, and she genuinely seems to respond warmly to my greeting. Much animal conversation leans strongly toward the non-verbal, but even that seems eminently interpretable, especially since it's usually only me who needs to feel satisfied with the exchange. I'm easy. I figure it pays me to be easy. Heck, I'll even occasionally talk with God, though I won't usually mention it when he speaks back to me. Of course, that conversation could also be pure projection if I want it to be, but I seldom do.

©2024 by David A. Schmaltz - all rights reserved

Tags: #iAlogue , #PureSchmaltz