Det här var förbanne mig...

det sorgligaste jag har läst på länge:

Ugly the Cat
Everyone in the apartment complex I lived in knew who Ugly was. Ugly was the resident tomcat. Ugly loved three things in this world: fighting, eating garbage, and, shall we say, love.

The combination of these things combined with a life spent outside had their effect on Ugly. To start with, he had only one eye and where the other should have been was a hole. He was also missing his ear on the same side, his left foot appeared to have been badly broken at one time, and had healed at an unnatural angle, making him look like he was always turning the corner. Ugly would have been a dark gray tabby, striped type, except for the sores covering his head, neck, and even his shoulders. Every time someone saw Ugly there was the same reaction. “That’s one UGLY cat !”

All the children were warned not to touch him, the adults threw rocks at him, hosed him down, squirted him when he tried to come in their homes, or shut his paws in the door when he would not leave. Ugly always had the same reaction.

If you turned the hose on him, he would stand there, getting soaked until you gave up and quit. If you threw things at him, he would curl his lanky body around your feet in forgiveness.

Whenever he spied children, he would come running, meowing frantically and bump his head against their hands, begging for their love. If you ever picked him up he would immediately begin suckling on your shirt, earrings, whatever he could find. One day Ugly shared his love with the neighbor’s dogs. They did not respond kindly, and Ugly was badly mauled. I tried to rush to his aid. By the time I got to where he was laying, it was apparent Ugly’s sad life was almost at an end.

As I picked him up and tried to carry him home, I could hear him wheezing and gasping, and could feel him struggling. It must be hurting him terribly, I thought. Then I felt a familiar tugging, sucking sensation on my ear. Ugly, in so much pain, suffering and obviously dying, was trying to suckle my ear. I pulled him closer to me, and he bumped the palm of my hand with his head, then he turned his one golden eye towards me, and I could hear the distinct sound of purring.

Even in the greatest pain, that ugly battled scarred cat was asking only for a little affection, perhaps some compassion. At that moment I thought Ugly was the most beautiful, loving creature I had ever seen. Never once did he try to bite or scratch me, try to get away from me, or struggle in any way. Ugly just looked up at me completely trusting in me to relieve his pain.

Ugly died in my arms before I could get inside, but I sat and held him for a long time afterwards, thinking about how one scarred, deformed little stray could so alter my opinion about what it means to have true pureness of spirit, to love so totally and truly.

Ugly taught me more about giving and compassion than a thousand books, lectures, or talk show specials ever could, and for that I will always be thankful. He had been scarred on the outside, but I was scarred on the inside, and it was time for me to move on and learn to love truly and deeply. To give my total to those I cared for.

Many people want to be richer, more successful, well liked, beautiful, but for me…I will always try to be Ugly.

Berättelsen är, inte oväntat men ändå, klippt från en tråd på Fark.com. Den sista tiden har det utvecklats en lördagsvana där att servera en tråd med katt-tema. Läsarna kastar sig sedan entusiastiskt över ämnet i sann LOLCats-anda. Som i alla andra trådar på Fark och annorstädes sker det brott mot humör och outtalade regler även i Caturday-tråden.

I går tårades mina ögon när jag läste berättelsen om Ugly.

Fark.com
Stället är ett av de mest besökta sociala dito på nätet. Det är barntillåtet, om än sällan barnbegripligt, eller Safe For Work, som det heter. Vid minsta risk för oanständighet flaggar man NSFW, den välbekanta varningen för material som inte är lämpligt att klicka fram när man sitter på jobbet.

Fark är ett 'community' säger många, där man länkar till udda och/eller icke-nyheter med bitande vassa och/eller roliga/vitsiga formuleringar. Sedan är fältet fritt för läsarna att själva kommentera. Som alla andra trådar kan det spåra ur helt eller ge ämnet nya höjder.

Ledtexterna till nyhetsartiklarna är vitsiga, fyndiga och ofta mycket elaka. En europé hänger inte med alla gånger, men bra är det och mycket roligt för det mesta.

En teknisk varning
Caturday-trådarna, liksom deras många gånger vansinnigt roliga Photoshop-tävlingar, är mycket bildrika och därmed minneskrävande. Gårdagens Caturday tog till exempel mer än 630 megabyte av min dators primärminne.

Inget för den med smalband eller lite minne, alltså.

Vad har detta med 'Testblogg' och Bloggertips att göra?
Inte ett skit. men jag måste lätta på mitt hjärta, och detta är den enda kanalen jag har. Min ordinarie blogg är fokuserad på annat, men har även den katt-inslag. Helga går mot sin sjuttonde födelsedag även om det är osäkert om hon kommer dit.

Mina tankar är med Ugly i kväll. Också.