[PyrNet-L] Fw: Off Topic: touching story,

["Dennis McFarland" <lochsloy@eagnet.com>]

----- Original Message -----
From: Dennis McFarland <lochsloy@eagnet.com>
Sent: Friday, March 31, 2000 2:04 PM
Subject: Off Topic: touching story, if you don't like this kind of thing
pleased delete


>
>
> Subject: The Integrity of "Ugly"
>
> The Integrity of "Ugly"
>
> 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
> gaping 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. His tail has long
> been lost, leaving only
> the smallest stub, which he would constantly
> jerk and twitch.
> Ugly would have been a dark gray tabby,
> striped-type, except for the
> sores covering his head, neck, even his
> shoulders with thick,
> yellowing scabs.  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
> huskies. They
> did not respond kindly, and Ugly was badly
> mauled. From my
> apartment I could hear his screams, and 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.
> Ugly lay in a wet circle, his back legs and lower
> back twisted grossly out of shape, a gaping tear in the white
> strip of fur that ran down his front.
> 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, or even 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.
>
>