In the Company of Cats

Summary

Erika Burkhalter, a yogi, neurophilosopher, and cat-mom, shares her preference for solitude with the company of her cats, birds, and plants over crowded environments, emphasizing the importance of silence for creativity and connection with nature.

Abstract

Erika Burkhalter expresses her affinity for quiet and solitude, highlighting her intimate interactions with her pets and plants as a source of inspiration and harmony. She finds the noise of crowds stifling to her inner dialogue and creativity, contrasting it with the enriching communication she experiences with her "soft-focus" cat Bisou, her voluptuous cat Uma, and even the singing of a mockingbird. Burkhalter's appreciation for nature's symphony is evident as she describes the beauty of her succulents' blooms and the protective song of the mockingbird. Her moments of silence allow her to tune into the world's melody and the conversations of her feline companions, enriching her dreams and creative endeavors.

Opinions

Erika values solitude and finds it more conducive to creativity than social settings.
She engages in conversations with her plants, praising them for their beauty.
Erika enjoys the company of her pets, interpreting their sounds and actions as meaningful communication.
She believes that the natural world, including animals and plants, provides a harmonious soundscape that enhances her life.
Erika is sensitive to the disruptive nature of crowds, which she feels drown out her inner voice and the whispers of her muse.
She appreciates the unique vocalizations of her cats and the mockingbird, considering them as part of nature's grand symphony.
Erika's love for Mother Earth's glories is a driving force behind her photography, poetry, and storytelling.

Moments of silence

I don’t do crowds well. A bit of a hermit am I. Solitary. Except for the company of cats, that is. And birds. And plants.

I have whole conversations with my succulents, praising them when they produce those great arching blooms, as pink and plump as a baby’s fingers, sprouting from concentric rings of green flesh.

I like people. Don’t get me wrong.

But the songs, the whispers of the muse, are drowned out in a crowd.

I can’t hear the sounds of my own words.

No, give me the ultra-sonic speech of Bisou, my “soft-focus” kitty, who glows when the sun slants just so, or the husky request of voluptuous Uma, demanding to be loved, or, at least, to be brushed.

Or the mockingbird singing — why do they do this in the wee hours of the night? I can only imagine he’s guarding his acreage. But maybe, he’s just delighted with his own voice.

It’s in those moments of silence, apart from the crowds, when the melody of the world somehow trickles into my ears, and also into my dreams, filling them both with the harmony of nature’s grand symphony and the conversation of cats.

Erika Burkhalter is a yogi, neurophilosopher, cat-mom, photographer, and lover of travel and nature, spreading her love and amazement for Mother Earth’s glories, one photo, poem or story at a time. (MS Neuropsychology, MA Yoga Studies). Erika is also an editor for Mindfully Speaking.

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