Diamond Thoughts

Tell us about a time when you felt out of place.

My new plant doesn’t like the pot I’ve chosen for her. She was a cutting my neighbor gave me three months ago and had been happily placed in water ever since. Yesterday, as the roots seemed to suffer a bit, I moved her into soil—and now she’s all depressed. Her sister, too.

“What am I supposed to do here?” she complained.
“Live, I guess? That’s where plants grow,” I replied.
She was kind of shocked and immediately turned all mushy on me. The same thing happened to the other one. That was my fault, though. She was growing so nicely in the water that I kept her there a little longer. Summer was at its peak, and I didn’t want to pot her in the middle of July. But last week, I noticed her roots starting to rot, so I finally moved her to soil. And now, well…she’s not happy either.

Mojo keeps asking if she can murder them, but mostly out of habit.
“I’m a cat, I kill things… things that you keep saving. Like yesterday’s spider, or the fly from two days ago. Now the plants…”
I gave her some catnip to compensate, and a toy. She forgot about the plants.

Good thing cats have short memories. But I know she’ll come back to the whole plant-murdering thing soon enough.

Mojo had to adapt to change too, and more than once. Exactly like the plants. Especially when her “sister” joined the family. I always thought she could use some company. Boy, was I wrong. Saying she wasn’t too thrilled when I brought home the little rascal, Meow Pinao (literally, “Meow, I’m hungry”), is an understatement. She gave me the cold shoulder for weeks. And Pinao, well, let’s just say my cats do not lack in character.

I found Pinao under a car, meowing like crazy. It was summer, it was hot, and she was tiny. So, I brought her home. She immediately turned into the spawn of Satan, hiding behind the toilet and refusing to come out when I was around. I tried everything—food, toys, a new bed—nothing worked. For three months, she lived behind the toilet. And since I only have one toilet, let’s just say those months weren’t exactly pleasant., meowing like crazy. It was summer, it was hot, and she was tiny. So, I brought her home. Pinao turned into the spawn of Satan, hiding behind the toilet and refusing to come out when I was around. I tried everything—food, toys, a new bed—nothing worked. For three months, she lived behind the toilet. And since I only have one toilet, let’s just say those months weren’t exactly pleasant.

I’ve felt like my plants or my cats many times in my life, that awkward sensation of being a fish out of water without bringing any oxygen. It still happens from time to time. Help me grow. Sometimes growing is uncomfortable.

My tiny lemon tree agrees—it had a tantrum yesterday because it’s sprouting its first thorns.
“It’s itchy,” he said.
“That’s good,” I told him. “It means you’re alive.”