The Cheetah and The Snake

Taking a look back

Let's start with a fun fact about me: I love cats. Small ones, big ones, the stereotypical kitties, and the strange felines. All are included. I would take every opportunity in class to learn about them.

Do an essay on some wild animal of my choice? Well, well, I got a few ideas for this one!

Pencil drawing: "The Cheetah and The Snake." circa 2001-2002ish

Out of all the big cats that I learned about, I think the cheetah was a fascinating one. It's a cat but not a feline. We categorize them with cats but it's kind of a unique genus. They doesn't roar. They hunt in the daytime. Their claws don't retract. Oddball cats. Oddball like me.

I think another reason why I feel the cheetah was like my spirit animal, was because years before, back in way ol' elementary school, I loved running. Loved it so much. I loved running for so long and so quickly that I would get constant lung cramps in my side. It made me think I was going so fast, my body just couldn't handle it.

(aww, kids. wutteryagunnadoo.)

So now, back in high school, I am a depressed and moody teen who is cynical and full of nihilistic vibes. A lot of things in my life kept hitting me in the face, and I just didn't know what to do but to just sit there and take it.

And so the snake.

I just saw myself as a girl who wanted to stay a wild child and the more I was growing up, the more I saw the snake moving itself around me. It didn't feel like I was allowed to struggle against it, that everyone has their own snake. It's fine. You'll be fine. But I was trying to roar and nothing was happening. I knew in my heart that something had to change or the snake will win one day.

Then someone did hear me.

I got out. I moved away.

I survived my snake.

Now so many years later, I know myself tons better now. I understand what triggers the snakes these days to keep them at bay while my spirit animal runs free and as fast as she can. Finding my "cheetah" community helped a lot as I used to think I was like the other "big cats", so to speak. Cheetahs are not odd when playing with other cheetahs, it turns out. Accommodations and boundaries helped a lot also.

I like to look back on this sketch and think to myself that the cheetah is roaring, just needed the right ears to hear it.

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