Tuesday, November 10, 2009

The Story of Clyde, part 1

West of the shores of Sydney, trains make their slow progress through Clyde Station. Commuters flock the platform in the morning, and exhale upon reaching it at the end of the day. Littering the platform with rubbish, they part with brisk steps to make their way home.

As evening creeps into the station, a slim creature scuttles onto the platform. Bones struggle to protrude from a slim gray back. White legs move in cautious bursts of speed as a dull gray tail is held low. Taking momentary shelter behind a trash bin, a gray and white head swivels, ears struggling to detect the warning sounds of humans. As the moon dances shadows over the small station, intelligent, yellow-green eyes anxiously look for food. 

Unfortunately for this 5-month old feral kitten, living among rusted train tracks provides scarce sustenance. Since birth, this is all the feral kitten has known. Humans terrify him. With their loud noises and erratic movements, they are dangerous creatures. 

Lifting his gray nose, he sniffs the night air. On a tendril wafts a tantalizing scent of meat. Cautiously, he follows the scent, dodging between posts along the platform. He doesn't know that actions tonight will change his perception of the world.


Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Camera Shy

I was looking through my pictures today, trying to find a topic for a story, and noticed nearly every photo of myself had something odd in common.I never face the camera. I have always been camera shy, but I didn't realize I was this bad. I think my fear stems from growing up with eczema and normally having the skin of an irritated, sad and flaky lobster. Doesn't make for a pretty picture.

But the funny thing is, I haven't had any skin problems for well over a year. So I guess I need to stop turning around as soon as someone says, "Smile!" 

These pictures did make me think of how silly people often are about their appearance. None of us are perfect, and lets face it, we could always look uglier (say with a painting of Dick Cheney mistakenly tattooed to our forehead). So smile and take pride in how unique and beautiful you are, imperfections and all. 

So, inspired by my little pep talk, here's a picture of me from the front. 
Keep smiling.