Animals are much too smart and complex to confine themselves to labels like “left” and “right.” Unlike humans, they have no need to label one another so they can dislike them and dismiss their ideas. Still animals, especially barn cats, have their own conflicts, their own moods. Flor and Minnie have not really been getting along, much hissing and spatting around food time. They have also been competing for the green chair, so Maria put out a red chair and there they sit, like U.S. Congressmen (and women), they remind me of cable news commentators, posturing and hissing through all eternity, never listening or connecting with one another.

I am proud to have no label in my head, clinging to the conceit that every issue is different and requires some individual thought and consideration. I understand that this is heresy and the angry cable news watchers would dismiss it. What would you get pissed off about?  But the cats made me think of it. I’m not sure if the photo is hopeful, but I choose to think of them as listening to one another.