why cats have it right.

My cat Bojangles spends hours, no, days, staring out windows trying to get birds. Although there is always a panel of glass to stop her, she never stops going after robins, sparrows, swallows, and various other avian friends. This made me wonder, why do we stop going after our goals? 

Bojangles on her mission to catch a bird. 

I always loved art history. Ever since my junior year high school Spanish class during a unit on Spanish and Latin American art, I felt that I had found a true passion. Then came college. While I desperately wanted to take an art history class, they fell behind more "useful" classes like chemistry, calculus, Spanish and philosophy. I told myself that art history would not be a good major because it didn't offer many job possibilities or future prospects, but I couldn't help but be a little jealous when my art history major friends would come back talking about their classes and professors. I would just sigh and think, "I wish I was there," as I turned back to continue reading Don Quijote. Don't get me wrong, I love my major subjects as much as I love art history, but I still wanted to study philosophy and Spanish while learning more about Baroque Biblical scenes and Egyptian hieroglyphics. I happily went through learning about Kant and Borges, but it took a trip to a museum in Buenos Aires to push me towards what I wanted to do. I love Frida Kahlo, and after seeing my very first piece of hers, I knew I wanted to spend my life surrounded by art, namely Latin American art. Fast forward a year and some change, and I am lucky enough to be a graduate student in Latin American Art History. No, it was not easy to get here, and I had to make some changes in my life (like moving back home) and spending habits, but I couldn't be happier. I'm not completely sure what I'll be doing with this degree when I graduate, but following my passion for this study has made me a much happier and fulfilled person. Like my cat at the window, I had obstacles, but like Bojangles I learned that I need to ignore the glass and keep going after birds to get where I want to be. I know I'll look back to my experience in the future to always remember to keep going - even if you have a giant window in your way. A very good lesson from such a small animal.