Black Cat

We were moseying down a back country road, soaking in springtime.  Something caught my eye, and I said to hubby, "Back up...I've gotta take a picture."

"My job is to sit here and be admired."

Right along the road lay this dignified black cat....alluring, mysterious, and regally enthralled with its high level of existence.

I don't know what it is, but I can feel black cats daring me to question their mythical powers.  Maybe their wary instincts tell them I'm the "devil's advocate," and maybe it's their guarded nature that draws me to them.

From little on, I remember hearing grownups warning and fearing black cats crossing their paths.  Well, it doesn't take long for kids to learn on their own what is for real and what isn't.  Groucho Marx was right when he said, "A black cat crossing your path signifies that the animal is going somewhere."


Poor black kitties and older cats are a lot less likely to get adopted from pet shelters because of silly superstitions of the past. How sad.  Not all black cat myths are bad, however.  Fishermen's wives used to keep black cats at home with them while their husbands went out to sea.  They believed that the black cat would prevent harm coming to their husbands.  These black cats were so valuable that they were oftentimes stolen.

Now, for those who prefer to take stock in superstition and folklore......

• If a black cat crosses your path while you're walking, walk in a circle, then go backward across the spot where it happened, and count to 13;
• If a black cat crosses your path while you're driving, turn your hat around backwards and mark an X on your windshield; 
• If you see a one-eyed black cat, spit on your thumb, press it in the palm of your hand, and make a wish.  Your wish will come true.