Cat In A Dog Body - How Do You Survive?

It’s been two weeks since my last blog - one weekend I was not in the mood, and the other I was fighting a cold. One of those colds that make you wish you were home - haven’t had one of these in ages. Congested head, no appetite or energy to do anything, body aching - you get it. And how many times I get cold or flu, it always surprises me when it takes its time to run its course. I am on day five, it is petering down, but my body needs rest.

Some days you just want to curl up, don’t want to answer any questions, and you want people to leave you alone. Now, if you know me, I am usually that way :) - but with the cold and all, it’s even more. We did an icebreaker at the office for my team, where we went around asking people whether they had a dog or a cat personality. It was a lot of fun - so apparently we are mostly a team of cats who masquerade as dogs in the office. When I shared that with my colleague, she said, ‘I wonder what kind of toll it takes on cats who are exhibiting dog-like behaviour at work.’

Now, I had long periods in London where I was by myself. And London, as you know, is known for gloomy, rainy, grey days, and somewhere, without knowing, I started loving those days. I remember a friend who told me that, some days, she would see how long she could go without talking to anyone. You see, in a city that is possible, you can indicate the item on the menu, tap on the card - nobody is expecting you to open your mouth and say hello when a nod and smile will do. It is perfectly ok to go out for dinner on your own. So, I had quite a few of those myself, and I enjoyed it, including a trip to the movies.

Let me see if I connect the dots with the above paragraphs. Since I had a cold, I was generally in a gloomy mood - and since I am a cat at core - and happily go around as a dog at work (That sounds so silly even to say it) - with depleted energy reserves, I have this intense desire to go inward. And that probably explains why my social life outside of work is limited to a few people, because right now, the new role consumes me. But, you know, before moving to Columbus, when we lived in London, we enjoyed life to the hilt. I was either planning a lunch or having lunch with some group of friends or others. We never had a dull evening - now even thinking of that version of me makes me tired.

How can one person change so drastically? Or is it just that I was discovering myself? It was a phase that worked out for London, and now it’s a different phase, and this is who I am? Now, don’t get me wrong - I absolutely enjoyed my time in London - if you had told me to spend a weekend evening at home, I would have scoffed. But then, at the same time, I spent time going on walks by myself and journaling in cafes towards the end of our stay in London.

At the end of the day, we have to honour where we are and who we have become. We are definitely not the version we were yesterday, a month ago, a year ago, or even before. It is a constant journey of discovery on who we are - I am changing as I write these words, and you, as a reader, are also changing. Change is the only constant, like the blog - where I started and where I ended.

Do you ever wonder where you started and where you ended for right now?