Isn't it funny how we are motivated to assume certain things, only later to feel silly or suprised even to know the assumption about someone or something or a situation was totally baseless.
Three weeks ago, the white mother cat who permanently resides in the building where I stay, her good health maintained with sufficient food from the garbage containers surprised us with a new introduction - a small white kitten, her very own baby. She guarded the kitten with her life, sneering at anyone who came near her. She made the first floor a semi-permanent abode for herself and her baby. The looked lovely together. We grew visually fond of the kitten, well emotionally too! Sometimes the kitten was left on its own and the mother would go in search for food to return to the baby. A week ago, I made a ball with crumpled newspaper and threw it towards the kitten who played with it all day delightfully. It was fun watching the little one in action totally occupied with playing with the ball with its paws. At the end of the day, it was tired and slept for a long time. The next day, the white cat was there, but no kitten and it meowed away each time it saw us, much to mine, my husband's and my concern. We felt sorry for the mother cat and wondered about the kitten. I felt the cat was asking for our help or intervention.
We suspected of foul play. Maybe a tom cat might have eaten the kitten. Maybe the caretaker of the building got rid of the kitten to avoid cat litter on every floor. As we speculated with more possibilities, our curiosity and concern couldn't be contained. My husband enquired with the caretaker who assured us the mother and baby were in the front wing, much to our surprise. Then why was the white cat crying on our floor all alone and where was the baby? My son went into the next wing and found the mother and baby on the first floor there and returned to us to share the good news. Then who was this white cat on our floor that was wailing? Upon careful observation, it was another white cat, whose face and size was different from the mother cat with the kitten. It probably was meowing away each time it saw us, with its tail lifted to 90 degrees, demanding attention and a possible acceptance. Just an over friendly cat who wanted some food. It was a territorial arrangement. When this new cat has made our wing its home, the mother cat and its baby made the next wing their home.
A simple true story to highlight the numerous assumptions we tend to make in our life about people, situations and in my case even animals! Whenever we assume, we are actually gathering mentally all the physical evidence, various possibilities, reflecting on past experiences and even input from friends and family. Infact we are subconciously being cautious. We do tend to think of the worst before we come to a decision. Most of our apprehensions and assumptions are due to our inner fears and a reluctance to patiently find out the truth.
Sometimes assumption can prove true when it stems from inner gut feeling. Its natural to assume especially if you are constantly habituated to do so, but don't advertise your assumptions with friends and family especially if you are not sure or your assumptions are baseless. Assumptions can become a platform to catapult to rumours. When a new employee joins a company, people make their own assumptions about that person before getting to know the person well. In Kerala, people make horrible assumptions of divorced women. When a child is naughty or an older child is being difficult, its assumed his friends are having a bad influence on the child. When we are introduced to a new friend, we make our own assumptions about that person. Assumptions can attribute to ruining someone's reputation, cost someone's job, cause conflicts in relationships and even spread unrest and even panic. How terrible!
We should never make an important decision and judgement listening to other's assumptions, unless you are sure what they are saying has substantial evidence or reason. Common sense, patience and an open mind coupled with some investigation and research and introspection can throw light on the truth you didn't know.
Next time, think - if its an assumption or truly an intuition being guided by an inner voice. Either way, you will come to know.
