I love to have staring contests with my cat. Cats don’t blink much, if you didn’t already know. I try to keep my eyes open long enough to beat her at her own staring games, but soon enough they start stinging and tearing up, and I have to blink or I swear I’ll go blind. Yet the second I open them again, I stare back at her. I am willing my cat’s psyche to open up and share all her secrets. I am channelling her energy. She’s confused. Why is this long and large cat crouched low to the floor, unmoving? I am the alpha cat now. I’m achieving Nirvana, the boundaries between her and I have vanished. We are one. We are both alpha cats. She is feeding me wet food from a tiny dish in the corner of our kitchen. Equal. As God intended.
Darien Johnsen is a UFV alumni who obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree with double extended minors in Global Development Studies and Sociology in 2020. She started writing for The Cascade in 2018, taking on the role of features editor shortly after. She’s passionate about justice, sustainable development, and education.
