Those Who Love Cats- A Notebook by Victoria Rico Costina.
This book was given to me by a cat-loving professor, a writer, a wife, and a good family friend.
The book is an anthology of various anecdotes, an introduction to the author’s brood of cats, cat-care advice, and book reviews/recommendations.
Those Who Love Cats-A Notebook was a refreshing read and a reminder of simpler days when I was a student at the University. It is a lovely book about a life revolving around literature and many, many cats. Proceeds from the sale of the book were donated to the Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS)—an organization that promotes the welfare and humane treatment of animals in the Philippines.
Reading through the book gave me a concrete image of a life where two loves are intertwined and balanced by real-life responsibilities like office work and cleaning potty basins of cats. Being a cat lover myself—although I have no cats right now—the book did not fail to put a smile on my face nor give me the case of occasional giggles. I could picture the chaotic life of the author with more than a handful of cats running into her house during mealtime. I could imagine the hot pursuit of another cat who claimed the author as her new owner and demanded to be taken home immediately.
This kind of life was not an easy ride, I could imagine, but the author prevailed. She surrounded her life with the things she loved, even if it was not easy, like regularly feeding campus cats in the midst of a storm.
As I said in my previous post, we are not one-dimensional. We are multi-faceted. Each part of who you are—be it a cat lover, a musician, and even a mathematician involved in imaginary numbers— builds your unique self.
The writer’s love for cats was one her colleagues at the University respected and even helped support through the likes of cat paraphernalia. It was an aspect of herself that even students who never enrolled in her class read on her sleeves.
This is what a holistic life looked like. It was a life outside an office building for more than 8 hrs/day, one where personal interests weren’t drowned out by corporate goals.
I was reminded that life was not really meant to be taken too seriously. Work tied to a desk all day long was not the life for me (no hate to those who will live and die by it). Each quirk and special hobby or interest should not be pushed aside for the sake of your daily wage. Rather your job should help sustain your vocation. The author did say that her job at the university helped her growing brood of cats thrive (despite the eyebags and fatigue), a line that made me smile.
Mind you, my previous company discouraged you from being employed (even part-time) elsewhere, any business operation you choose to put up on the side should be approved by your heads and the HR. Your time and your headspace were only meant for the good of the company.
I also went through a job interview that asked if I had any interest in business or starting a side hustle because they would rather have employees whose sole focus was the company’s deliverables. For them, your personal ambitions could side-track your work.
Management lessons I took from the Harvard Business Review also encouraged organizations to align personal goals with corporate goals to ensure engagement and success. This may work for some but I guess that was a red flag for me.
The author’s life may be what we are hoping for, not necessarily with cats but more so with the hopes that we have set aside as little girls and boys when life suddenly took a turn and became tough.
I may be struggling. But that does not mean I have given up all hope. There is still hope out there for me to work a job I enjoy and, at the same time, build on passions that have since long evaded me. I write this today hoping that I could take the reins of my life and pull myself through murky waters. But change takes time. Sometimes, it is easier to go back to old habits, like the one cat that chose to return to the author’s old house even after moving, but life and I have to move on.
Busyzi 
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