Well, Andrea wanted me to be the first guest author for this incredible blog and I really wanted to share an experience I had involving my roaming cat, Olivia Dunham, and my neighbors. First off, I'd like you to remember the old guy from the movie 'Home Alone' that was shown carrying the snow shovel around and appeared to be rather menacing. We were probably supposed to think he was some sort of murderer that had managed to escape the authorities.
With that in mind, the word around our neighborhood was that the lady directly across the street from us was some crabby old shut-in that had nothing better to do than cause trouble whenever possible. This was of course a rumor and gossip so I didn't believe it unless I saw it for my own eyes. If so, I wouldn't have a problem keeping my distance if necessary.
Back to Olivia. She LOVES to go outside and, given the opportunity, will sprint out of the house like she's being chased by a chainsaw. She is treated very well at home but enjoys the outdoors just as much, even when there's snow covering the ground. A true animal.
Our family had an overnighter at Andrea's parents' house on Thanksgiving, partly because the weather was a real mess; cold and snowy. And we never brought Olivia inside before we left, figuring her instincts would kick in as a survivor.
Well, our kitty REALLY wanted to be inside and since we weren't answering the door she thought she'd visit our neighbors across the street. Our neighbors weren't sure who this cat belonged to so they called a friend to pick her up instead of leaving her out all night. That was our FIRST experience with our neighbors, and we were convinced SOMEone was out to get us.
The next adventure was just a few nights ago when the police actually came to our door at 9:30 at night! The officer specifically asked about our cat and kindly told us to keep it under control, as they are to be treated the same as a dog running the neighborhood without a leash.
What do we do?! Get rid of our cat?! Try to keep it inside permanently?! We were clueless. We knew Olivia would get out eventually and we weren't about to get rid of a family member. So I decided the best thing to do, however difficult it may be, was to meet the neighbors across the street. Duh duh DUUUUUHHH. I had Andrea whip up some cookies, write our names and numbers on some Post It notes and I grabbed the boys and headed out the door. I figured if I had my kids with me and things got out of hand they would help keep me in check. Just kidding about that last part.
I didn't know what to expect and, to my surprise, the lady that came to the door could not have been any sweeter. She said she and her next door neighbor are major cat lovers and were so sad to see this little grey kitty out in the cold and the best thing was for it to spend the night inside. And since she doesn't get around well and uses a walker she wasn't capable of bringing it into her own house. We talked on her doorstep for probably 45 minutes and when I left I was very confident I had made a new long-term friend. She thanked me for the cookies, telling me it was sweet though not necessary. To which I replied, "It's what we Mormons do!".
The story gets even better!
The next night we get a knock on the door and it was another neighbor from across the street. Different home, right next to my new friend. She came over to confess she was the one responsible for bringing the police to our door. She said since SHE didn't have our phone number either she regretfully decided to call animal control. Instead, we get the authorities!
When she found out that I was not only NOT upset AND I had a plate of cookies for her, she started shedding tears. I almost cried myself, not being able to bear the idea that someone would think THIS way of ME! It was an awkward handshake before parting ways, I'm sure with the both of us feeling that a hug would've been more appropriate for this situation. I told her to call if our cat ever causes trouble, which I was relieved to know wasn't at all the case.
Instead of hard feelings and having to start a manhunt for the culprits responsible for sending the cops to my door, I made new friends and was humbled to know that not everyone was out to get me. I asked for my Father in Heaven to forgive me for not meeting my new friends sooner and promised to be a better missionary on His behalf. Just like the man in 'Home Alone' with the snow shovel turned out to be a sweetheart, so too were my neighbors across the street, who turned out to be lovers of cats just like myself. As Clayton M. Christensen, the author of The Power of Everyday Missionaries says: "We cannot predict and should not judge".
I have a firm knowledge that God loves each and every one us and that we are all His children.
-Your friend in the Christian blogosphere, Michael
