Saturday, November 28, 2009
Even Change Agents Can Dislike Change or More about Miko the Cat
Over the years I have grown to accept that I am a Catalyst for Change. This wasn’t just my idea – I wish I were that smart. My coach asked me to check with my friends and ask what they believed my strengths to be and that’s what showed up over and over. That doesn’t mean that I like the consequences of change any more than the next person.
What has brought me joy for the last couple of years has been my early morning time with Miko the Cat who has waited patiently outside my shower door. She waited patiently for that moment when wrapped in a towel I’d sit down to wait for her to climb on my lap for a love-in and some conversation. This was the only time of day that this was allowed by Queen Miko and I have been the only person having this distinct pleasure.
Along came the new kitty a month ago. You may recall (or why would you) that the great name debate was still going on about this new fellow. His name was finally chosen on the basis of his personality - he is known as “Monkey”….just picture monkey antics and that would be my new kitten. He even does a fly by and steals things off my desk.
The consequence of this change in my household was that Miko stopped joining me in the mornings. For days she sat with her back to me or purposely turned around when she saw me coming. There was no purring - just disdainful looks. This was a tremendous loss to me and for a while I wondered what I had done – the consequence didn’t seem worth it.
It is now a month after Monkey’s arrival – it took that long for life to return to normal. The moral of the story is that even the best of changes bear consequences and we must be resilient and patient as all parties adapt to the changes.
