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| Our beloved Marcel. The best cat ever. Everyone who knew him loved him. |
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
I missed my daily email yesterday,
but I have a good excuse.
We had a death in the family.
Yesterday we lost our beloved Marcel,
a wonderful, active, adventurous, gray
cat who had been with us for ten
glorious, fun-filled years.
Marcel had the best life of any cat who
ever lived -- and it was an adventurous
life. He was an indoor and outdoor cat,
living in a house on a hill with a big
yard, a maze of garden boxes, a
mulberry tree to climb, and endless
birds, squirrels, and small critters to
chase.
The squirrels loved him. When he lay on
the railing on the back porch, the squirrels
would lie on the fence posts and mimic the
way he lay there, face down, with his four
legs dangling down.
It happened so often that we called him
"The Squirrel God."
When he was a small kitten, our daughter
kept him on a long leash when he went out.
He made a beeline for the magnolia tree,
and climbed up as high as he could. He
loved climbing. But climbing with a leash
around your neck can be dangerous, so
we let him off his leash.
Five minutes later I saw a tiny kitten
sitting on top of the neighbor's garage,
surveying what was to become his un-
disputed domain for the next 10 years.
Not long after, our daughter went off to
college, and Trudi and I became Marcel's
new parents. He wasn't sure we would do
a good job for him, so he ran away.
We searched everywhere, put up signs,
made calls, and paid the kids in the
neighborhood to try to find him.
Several days passed -- and there was no
sign of Marcel.
And then, while little Marcel was still out
there -- somewhere -- Louisville was hit
by a terrible storm with hurricane force
winds -- the remnants of a hurricane that
roared out of the Gulf of Mexico and into
Texas.
Trees were toppling everywhere -- branches
and wires were coming down -- and everyone
stayed in their basement, huddling in the
dark with their loved ones.
After the storm, Trudi got a call on her cell
phone.
A family several blocks away had found
Marcel. We raced over to get him -- passing
a dozen or more downed trees along the way.
When we got there, they told us the story.
When the storm hit, the little kitten did what
he thought was the safest thing.
He climbed a tree in their back yard.
And there he was for the entire storm, holding
on for dear life, 30 feet above the ground -- in
a hurricane. The family saw him, but there was
nothing they could do to help him. He had to
do it on his own. And he did.
After the storm had passed, the little kitten
climbed down the tree and stepped with
waery, wobbly legs onto the wet, green
grass.
Trudi wrapped him in an old sweater and
carried him home, holding him close. And
as you can guess, Marcel got a very big
dinner that night.
That was our Marcel. He was fearless. He
was an adventurer. He always loved
to climb as high as he could climb -- and
to spend long hours sitting with the sun and
wind on his face, watching what happened
below.
His favorite spot in the entire world was
the deck outside a third story apartment
in a house on the hill above us.
He would climb up the wooden steps and
sit and see for miles.
I learned many things from Marcel. You
always learn important things from a
special pet.
This is what Marcel taught me:
"Live every day to the fullest. Make time to
sit in the sun and the wind. Always look for
the high ground. Enjoy the far horizon,
and make everything you see your
own special kingdom."
And there was another important lesson:
"If you're caught in a tall tree in a
hurricane, hold on tight -- and enjoy
the adventure!"
Marcel is gone, but he's enjoying a new
adventure. He can fly now -- and I know
it's something he always wanted to do.
His spirit is free and unfettered.
Goodbye, Marcel. Thank you for the years of
love and laughter -- for the memories -- and
for the lessons you shared with us.
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. Of course, my next workout will be extra
hard and heavy to honor Marcel. Please join me
and do the same. He'll appreciate it.
P.S. 2. Carl Lanore graciously agreed to let
me share Marcel's story on yesterday's
episode of Physical Culture Radio. Here's
the libnk to the download:
http://superhumanradio.com/shr-1787-physical-culture-radio-living-life-like-marcel-almonds-10-grams-a-day-helps-keep-the-doctor-away.html
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