By Jim Hagarty
2011
It is only natural for us to sometimes wonder why we are the way we are. Nature or nurture? Were we born this way as Lady Gaga likes to say or did our Moms and Pops shape our personalities? The Hagarty cats have me convinced that nature plays the biggest part. Mario and Luigi, though brothers, couldn’t be more different if one was a cat and the other a kangaroo. As previously reported, Mario is an unrepentant stalker and slayer of various wildlife while as far as we know, Luigi has never killed anything in his life if you don’t count upholstery and carpet. Mario is skittish and insecure. Luigi is as relaxed and calm as a Tony Bennett song. However, there is no doubt Luigi is the boss of the house as even the dog defers to him. I have boxing matches with Mario and he never brings out the claws. To try the same with Luigi would result in pain and stitches. But cats of all stripes have one big advantage over us – they never get down on themselves! Unless they have been abused, they are the very image of self-acceptance. Humans would do well to reflect on our natures and give in to them.
