It’s 6:13 am and I was just sitting in our sun room with my Golden Retriever, Bella. Bella is the perfect dog – like most Goldens. She just lay there waiting for me so she could faithfully follow right behind my every move. As we were both relaxing, she heard some movement upstairs and realized my wife had woken up. She was excited. Her tail wagged back and forth against the floor so violently that it sounds like someone beating a drum.
Bella lives a charmed life. She is fed more than she needs. She has more toys than I did when I was a kid. She gets a couple walks every day. And she has a six-year-old that pays full attention to her when my wife and I get busy. She’s fat and happy, but if something ever happened to us and nobody noticed, Bella would die of starvation within 30 days.
At about the same time as I was reflecting about Bella’s life this morning, I watched a cat outside trying to catch a bird. Although unsuccessful, the cat chased it up the tree without any awareness of how outmatched it was. It was completely unaffected by its defeat. In fact, I think the cat forgot about the bird in ten seconds because it trotted through the yard after something else.
I’ve seen this cat many times and have no idea if any of my neighbors own it or if it’s feral. It’s constantly on the prowl looking for its next meal. It never gives up or rests or gets fat. If it does have a human that takes care of it, then they’re simply part of the bonus plan. If they suddenly die, this cat will be fine because it’ll get back out there and find its own food.
Quick question for you, assuming you’re a salesperson: When this economic boom ends and your current accounts stop buying your technology and services, will you be ok like my cat friend or will be dead in 30 days like my fat and happy Bella? No need to answer me, but you better answer this question soon.
