August Happiness Challenge: Day 9

Rizz appreciates characters

On Day Nine, I'm happy about Gray and White Kitten and The Walking Dude.  

Gray and White Kitten was born in Millennial Park at the beginning of summer. He was all alone, without mama kitty or littermates. A homeless couple adopted him and are taking the best care of him they can. He's got a small portable litter box, a collar and leash, and toys -- all donated by passers by. He's amazingly chill about noises and doesn't even blink when a bus belches by or a siren blares. He encounters many dogs during the day but doesn't care much about them either. This is not to say he's not alert. He is. I've watched him enthusiastically take down a knotted pair of white socks. 

I realize that the two who adopted Gray and White Kitten are pimping him for donations. It's effective, too. I manage to scrounge change or a dollar bill every time I see them. And I've tucked a couple cans of canned food into my bag's side pocket.

I also know that it's more than likely that, without these two homeless kids, Gray and White Kitten would have perished in the park like his siblings, become road kill on the very busy streets, or fallen prey to some of the very sick fucks that are out there. I worry about what will happen to this cat come winter. I know there are homeless shelters that allow pets, but I doubt that the other dogs and cats that spend the night there have been immunized or fixed. 

But still, it was nice to see Gray and White Kitten looking healthy and loved. It's been a pleasure this summer to watch him grow, to see his ears go from round to pointy.

The Walking Dude is a Chicago staple, a homeless man who walks ... and walks ... and walks. He is tall and thin, with flowing white hair and a mustache. (Think a white-haired Barry Gibb.) His clothes are well worn, but the hair on his face and head are always immaculate as he walks all day and all night. In all weather. In May of 2016, he suffered a severe beating. He was hospitalized for a while and citizens contributed $40,000 for his care. News reports said he was "fine," but I no longer saw him walking, walking, walking. Today I did! And he looked fine.

I'm happy that the city is a vibrant place filled with unique and special characters, and I must remind myself to take the time to look.

If you want to play along, just come back here (meaning to this blog, not this individual post) each day in August, looking for the Happy Cub. Every day I will try to have a post with the headline: August Happiness Challenge: Day [X]. Leave a comment and then post your own daily happiness, with August Happiness Challenge in the title to make it easy to find.