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Omar's Diary

An introduction to Omar's world of felines, canines, servants, and opinions.

By Alan RussellPublished 7 years ago 3 min read
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Thank you for your time and allowing me to introduce myself to you.

My name is "Omar." As you can see from my portrait, I am a feline of quality breeding, Tonkinese in fact, who has been used to the good things in life, lost them, and is slowly recovering them. Life has not always been kind to me. Before I settled into my current home I was, as George Orwell said about Paris, "down and out." I was not in Paris but in Bournemouth where I was rescued from my homeless plight by a voluntary organisation. They gave me refuge for a few days and then settled me into the place that I now call "home" here on the edge of The New Forest. I share my home with one other feline and two members of the servant species.

Since deciding my new home was going to be suitable, I have been training these servants to look after me in a way that befits someone of my exceptional breeding. It has taken nearly three years but I think I have got domestic arrangements as close to perfection as possible.

There is Lady Servant who absolutely dotes on me as a result of this training. My slightest whimper or attempts to lift the carpet with my claws always has her rushing to me offering soft warm cuddles or even better, small treats known as "Dreamies." Fortunately, felines of any breeding are devoid of facial expressions so Lady Servant cannot detect when I am playing with her emotions. Apart from sleeping, this is my second most favourite form of recreation.

Then there is Man Servant who is not quite as responsive to my needs as Lady Servant. He looks after me but I have noticed that when Lady Servant is away, the standards of service do fall off a bit. Man Servant’s main role in my life is to take my dictation for this diary. Felines do not have opposable thumbs so we are unable to write with a pen, let alone type on a keyboard. Man Servant and I get along through our shared interests in the world in the areas of national and international politics, literature and horse racing. The two of us also share the view that whatever we see in any of the news media should be looked at critically and never accepted at face value. One of Man Servant’s favourite quotations is that too often:

We enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought.—John Fitzgerald Kennedy

As part of the dictation arrangement, I do occasionally allow Man Servant to publish some horse racing selections in my diary. I have to issue a huge caveat the size of Mount Everest about these selections; they are very rarely successful. So, my advice is to keep your stakes to an absolute minimum to avoid disappointment or do not even back them.

Then there is Mitzy. Mitzy is another member of the feline species from a much lower quality of breeding than myself. Very briefly, there were some serious domestic upheavals that took place in her previous home which she could not cope with. These changes forced her to reluctantly leave that home and migrate into ours. My servants are very tolerant and allowed her to settle and stay. Having been homeless once myself, I understood her plight and have accepted her. Since she arrived we have informally developed clearly defined borders between our sovereign territories. I spend most of my days on the sedan in the day room in the sunshine while Mitzy takes up residence in the sitting room. We both respect these territoies in a way reminiscent of the Westphalia Treaty of 1648.

There are itinerant visitors. Other members of the servant species call at our open house. Sometimes they bring a canine into the house called "Annie" who causes great disruption and chaos. I retreat to my upstairs apartment when I hear "Annie" arrive. Then there are the other felines that raid the ever full bowls of cat biscuits in the kitchen downstairs. There is one particularly troublesome feline whose servants have given him the name "Skimbleshanks" after the railway feline in T. S. Eliot’s collection of poems. This name gives him a quality that I have serious doubts about and so he will be referred to in following diaries as "Lagerboy."

The residents of Omar Towers are an eclectic collection individuals and species but despite all of our differences we rub along together quite well in an environment of tolerance, and understanding.

catsatire
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About the Creator

Alan Russell

When you read my words they may not be perfect but I hope they:

1. Engage you

2. Entertain you

3. At least make you smile (Omar's Diaries) or

4. Think about this crazy world we live in and

5. Never accept anything at face value

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