mdlbear | On Songwriting and the Cat (Reply)

Every once in a while a song whacks me upside the head, usually when I'm working on something entirely different. It seems to be happening more often lately, and I'm not complaining in the least. The last time it happened, I wanted to write a song about a particular friend, and ended up with "The River".

This isn't about the song I was writing, or even much about the process. It's about my wonderful flower_cat.

Back five days ago when I first told her about it, she nodded approvingly and said I'd been listening to Amy (my muse, not to be confused with other Amys in my life). So I guess that when I spent a restless Saturday afternoon and evening, she knew what was coming.

Yesterday morning, she didn't even ask; just took a phone, her laptop, a big glass of iced tea, and a bowl of munchies and parked herself out on the front porch. I had the impression that she was waiting for A, who was coming over to do some gardening, and wanted to people-watch in the neighborhood. All of which was true, but mostly she was staying out of my way. I'm afraid she knows me too well.

She knows that if she breaks my concentration she's likely to get snapped at. It's not because I'm angry but just because I'm startled, but it hurts her. (About 8 hours pass, during which I go reluctantly to work.) And, yeah; I could have been bouncing in and out of the office to spend time with her, but I wouldn't have been able to concentrate, and she would have been hurt again every time I crawled back into my hole. It worked.

By dinnertime I had a cheerful Cat and a good song. Yay!