I know my last post was a bit ominous. It was a bad week. To hear my best friend sound so down on something that he absolutely loves. It was heartbreaking. Luckily.......it was a bad week and things and feelings have passed and all seems right with the world again.
We are so looking forward to the TICA Annual sneeking up on us in just over a week. Very exciting. Plans are being made. Restaurants are being sought for some good old fashioned fun. Theme parks are being investigated for which will provide the best time. Mental lists are being made for what needs to be packed. A great time is being planned.
Plans for the future are also being made. We have several Siberian kittens that are showing great promise. We anxiously watching the two from Sasha and Mufasa. They're little butterballs with the thickest, fluffiest coats I have ever seen on 5 week old kittens. They look better than some adults. And the heads!! Round with perfect profiles. We can't wait to see these little ones get bigger. It's always exciting to see something with so much promise at such a young age. I'll post pictures soon of these little shaggy bears.
So.....luckily our little dark cloud that was hanging over us has passed. Sometimes it helps to take a breath and think things through and to realize how lucky and fortunate we really are. It also didn't hurt to receive TICA's newest brochure in the mail on Saturday. It has a picture of Jon holding Frosty and receiving a Best Cat rosette from Hisako Yamada. He was truly touched and honored that TICA would choose to use that photo on the 30th Anniversary brochure.
On to Orlando and tons of fun!!!
meow for now,
melissa
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
What do you do?
What do you do when something you love, something that is a part of you is no longer fun? When you feel like you're being passed by and left behind? Unfortunately a dear friend of mine is facing that right now. He said that the cat fancy isn't fun anymore. There are cliques and hierarchy that nobody can get into.
In some ways I very much agree with him. Let's face it. The cat fancy is a bit like high school. You have the in crowd and everyone else. Sometimes the in crowd will let you in briefly, to give you a taste of what you're missing, and then send you back. No matter how hard you work to achieve your goals, nothing you do matters, unless you know the right people.
We have tried very hard to achieve that level. Never in a million years did I think I would be going to an Annual show to collect four awards. When I entered my first show over 14 years ago, I didn't even know if I would get a regional award. Now.......with lots of hard work, I've achieved a certain level. Definitely not the in crowd, but a higher level. If you think of it in high school standards, perhaps a junior. My dear friend is the same way. He has struggled and fought for every win, every point, every award. When you work with minority breeds, it isn't easy.
He finally thought that he had reached the senior level. Only to be basically told to go back to the sophomore level. It's made him rethink being in the cat fancy. It's given him a new perspective on things. It's making him consider leaving the fancy.
It does make one wonder. Why are some people told that they have to put in their time, to pay their dues, so to speak, before they're rewarded with the higher wins, while others are welcomed with open arms and lavished with finals and praise? It's discouraging. You hear stories from people who just celebrated their first supreme. After 16 years they just received their first supreme. Then you hear others who brag about 3 show supremes.
Is it all really about the cat? Or is it about who owns the cat? We do need to be honest. Everyone knows it's not just about the cat. Anyone who thinks otherwise should take off their rose colored glasses. Showing cats is political. A friend, who is also a judge, has told me time after time, the Best Cat, Kitten, Alter, etc isn't necessarily the best. They just happen to have more money and opportunity than others.
I've always known that the cat fancy is political. Let's face it. It's a competition. There is bound to be politics involved. Some of it is who you know and who knows you. I guess the biggest thing for us, is that it never really effected us until this past season. When we were briefly let in to run with the seniors. Now that we've been sent back to be with the underclassmen it's a bit of a hard pill to swallow. Makes you even wonder at times is this all worth it? Is it worth the heartache? You bring something to the show that you've worked on producing only to be told it's not any good. Eventhough you were told months ago that it was great. What's changed?
Are the only ones who do well in the cat fancy those who prey on others to get ahead? The ones who play the game dishonestly? The ones who are in the good graces of the judges? The ones who can afford to go somewhere every weekend? The ones who offer you their friendship and then stab you in the back?
We had an incredible show season last year. We showed some incredible cats. They are the epitome of the standard. So what changed? We're still showing the same cats.
I guess there comes a time in everyone's life when they need to step back, take time off and make decisions about their future. It's when you realize that life will go on without you. That your shoes will be filled by the next person in the door. That nobody will miss you or what you have to bring to the table. It makes you wonder if all the praise and good things that were said to you were to make you feel good so you keep coming back and bringing entries for shows. How does one know if what is being said to them is the honest truth or a slick way to get you to spend money at the shows?
It really makes me wonder if this is all worth it..........
meow for now,
melissa
In some ways I very much agree with him. Let's face it. The cat fancy is a bit like high school. You have the in crowd and everyone else. Sometimes the in crowd will let you in briefly, to give you a taste of what you're missing, and then send you back. No matter how hard you work to achieve your goals, nothing you do matters, unless you know the right people.
We have tried very hard to achieve that level. Never in a million years did I think I would be going to an Annual show to collect four awards. When I entered my first show over 14 years ago, I didn't even know if I would get a regional award. Now.......with lots of hard work, I've achieved a certain level. Definitely not the in crowd, but a higher level. If you think of it in high school standards, perhaps a junior. My dear friend is the same way. He has struggled and fought for every win, every point, every award. When you work with minority breeds, it isn't easy.
He finally thought that he had reached the senior level. Only to be basically told to go back to the sophomore level. It's made him rethink being in the cat fancy. It's given him a new perspective on things. It's making him consider leaving the fancy.
It does make one wonder. Why are some people told that they have to put in their time, to pay their dues, so to speak, before they're rewarded with the higher wins, while others are welcomed with open arms and lavished with finals and praise? It's discouraging. You hear stories from people who just celebrated their first supreme. After 16 years they just received their first supreme. Then you hear others who brag about 3 show supremes.
Is it all really about the cat? Or is it about who owns the cat? We do need to be honest. Everyone knows it's not just about the cat. Anyone who thinks otherwise should take off their rose colored glasses. Showing cats is political. A friend, who is also a judge, has told me time after time, the Best Cat, Kitten, Alter, etc isn't necessarily the best. They just happen to have more money and opportunity than others.
I've always known that the cat fancy is political. Let's face it. It's a competition. There is bound to be politics involved. Some of it is who you know and who knows you. I guess the biggest thing for us, is that it never really effected us until this past season. When we were briefly let in to run with the seniors. Now that we've been sent back to be with the underclassmen it's a bit of a hard pill to swallow. Makes you even wonder at times is this all worth it? Is it worth the heartache? You bring something to the show that you've worked on producing only to be told it's not any good. Eventhough you were told months ago that it was great. What's changed?
Are the only ones who do well in the cat fancy those who prey on others to get ahead? The ones who play the game dishonestly? The ones who are in the good graces of the judges? The ones who can afford to go somewhere every weekend? The ones who offer you their friendship and then stab you in the back?
We had an incredible show season last year. We showed some incredible cats. They are the epitome of the standard. So what changed? We're still showing the same cats.
I guess there comes a time in everyone's life when they need to step back, take time off and make decisions about their future. It's when you realize that life will go on without you. That your shoes will be filled by the next person in the door. That nobody will miss you or what you have to bring to the table. It makes you wonder if all the praise and good things that were said to you were to make you feel good so you keep coming back and bringing entries for shows. How does one know if what is being said to them is the honest truth or a slick way to get you to spend money at the shows?
It really makes me wonder if this is all worth it..........
meow for now,
melissa
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