Stratovarius Community

I know, guys, that it's long but I ask you to read it. It's not my story, I read it in one russian forum and then translated it. Especially I want NeonLightChild and Stratolily to read it... I know that they'll understand it deeply. And maybe something will change in this world if we will know about such stories...

Read this story and simply reflect HOW do we live. Can it be in our forces to bring a droplet of kindness to this world,
to make it purer and more beautiful?

UGLY

I was deeply touched with this true history, and till now, sometimes, re-reading it, I feel tears in my eyes. I am confident that among us there is no too many "Ugly". And all of them in spite of anything thirst love and attachments. Search of love also makes the main theme of the
history which I want to tell. Read...

Each inhabitant of an apartment in which I lived knew who Ugly was. A local Cat. Ugly loved three things in this world: struggle, eating dross and a kind of love. A combination of these things plus residing without a roof have left on Ugly’s body indelible traces. For the beginnings, he had only one eye, and on a place of another the aperture gaped. On the same side there was no also an ear, and the left leg was once broken and has grown together with any improbable corner, due to what it was made an impression that the cat all time is going to turn round the corner.
His tail for a long time was absent. There was only a small bit, which constantly twitched.. If not set of sores and yellow scabs that covered Ugly’s head and even shoulders, it would be possible to call him as dark grey striped cat. Anyone who looked at him had the same reaction: what an UGLY cat. All children had been strictly forbidden to concern him. Adults stopped stones towards him. They watered him from a hose when he tried to enter the house, or jammed his paw with a door that he could not leave. Ugly always showed one and the same reaction. If he was watered from a hose he tolerated silently while torturers were not bothered with this occupation. If he was threw with things - he rubed to offenders’ legs as being sorry. If he saw children, he ran to them and rubed with his head about hands and loudly mewed eliciting caress. If somebody
took him on hands he there and then started to suck the corner of shirts or something another that he could reach.

Once Ugly has tried to make friends with neighbour's dogs. In the answer he has been awfully bitten. From the window I have heard his shouts and here has rushed to help. When I have reached him, Ugly was almost dead. His back, his legs, a back part of his body completely lost the initial form. His sad life came to the end. The trace of tear crossed his forehead. I carried him to my home and most of all I was afraid to damage to him even more. And he in the meantime tried to suck my ear. I embraced him to myself. He touched with his head to a palm of my hand, his gold eye turned in my side, and I have heard rumbling. Even feeling such a terrible pain, the cat asked me about one - about a droplet of attachment! Probably about a droplet of compassion. And during that moment I thought, that I deal with the most loving essence from everyone whom I met in my life. Most loving and the most beautiful. He will never try to bite or to scratch me, or simply to abandon. He just looked at me, he was confident that I shall manage to alleviate his pain.

Ugly has died in my hands before I have had time to reach a house, and I sat for a long time holding him in my hands. Subsequently I reflected that one unfortunate cripple could change my representations about what is true cleanliness of spirit, true and boundless love. Ugly told me without words more about compassion than a thousand books, lectures or conversations. And I shall be always grateful to him. His body has been crippled, and my soul has been injured. Has come the time for me to study how to love truly and deeply. To give everything to someone that is near. The majority wants to be the rich men, more successful men, to be loved and beautiful. And I shall always aspire to one - to be Ugly... " (с)

i don't know what to say...it is the same every day, with cats, with dogs, birds, etc, etc...
In my personal experience, i've found amazing things about animals, they taught me many things that humans sometimes are not able to teach, i have my personal story, it is joyfull, yet sad. I hope to see you on msn soon

It's a wonderful and so sad story, Morgana. Ugly makes me remember Olivia... I'm totally agree with you and also with what Neonlightchild says. Animales are, in so many ways, so much better than us, horrible, selfish and killer human beings. They are loyal, honest, caring. They don't lie, they don't betray, they don't abandon you. This world is more horrible and evil every day. This has to stop. Or we'll regret it at the end...

Stratolily wrote:This world is more horrible and evil every day. This has to stop. Or we'll regret it at the end...

There will come some profound changes in the world in next 15 years as Timo has said on his forum many many times...

Stratolily wrote:Animales are, in so many ways, so much better than us, horrible, selfish and killer human beings. They are loyal, honest, caring. They don't lie, they don't betray, they don't abandon you.

I don't exactly agree with this. Animals behave mostly according to instinct. I don't think they choose to be loyal, honest and caring. I think most of their behaviour may be pre-programmed by their genetic code. In other words, most of their behaviour is not learned, and hey, some dogs bite and some cats can scratch you! I think we shouldn't romanticize animals. They are not good, they are not bad, they just are. And in fact, one of the very few species that has culture and "advanced" learned behaviour (the chimpanzees) is also one of the very few species (if not the only one) that practices warfare. They fight among each other and sometimes kill each other for social reasons. So, as soon as animals develop a culture and a high level of self-awareness, they become as fucked up as us.

EDIT: Oh I forgot, animals don't lie and betray because they can't, not because they are good beings who make a conscious choice not to lie or betray.

Stealth wrote:

Stratolily wrote:Animales are, in so many ways, so much better than us, horrible, selfish and killer human beings. They are loyal, honest, caring. They don't lie, they don't betray, they don't abandon you.

I don't exactly agree with this. Animals behave mostly according to instinct. I don't think they choose to be loyal, honest and caring. I think most of their behaviour may be pre-programmed by their genetic code. In other words, most of their behaviour is not learned, and hey, some dogs bite and some cats can scratch you! I think we shouldn't romanticize animals. They are not good, they are not bad, they just are. And in fact, one of the very few species that has culture and "advanced" learned behaviour (the chimpanzees) is also one of the very few species (if not the only one) that practices warfare. They fight among each other and sometimes kill each other for social reasons. So, as soon as animals develop a culture and a high level of self-awareness, they become as fucked up as us.

I agree wholeheartedly with you, but I also think that domesticated animals may be great companions (wether by choice or not) and you can become truly attatched to them.

stratoplayer wrote:I agree wholeheartedly with you, but I also think that domesticated animals may be great companions (wether by choice or not) and you can become truly attatched to them.

Oh! No doubt about that! I agree. I just think that people tend to assign their pets an "artificial" personality, and they also tend to "humanize" them.

IceBreaker wrote:

Stratolily wrote:This world is more horrible and evil every day. This has to stop. Or we'll regret it at the end...

There will come some profound changes in the world in next 15 years as Timo has said on his forum many many times...

Hope he's right, I bet he is!

neonlightchild wrote: I hope to see you on msn soon

I'm always glad to see you there

Stealth wrote:

stratoplayer wrote:I agree wholeheartedly with you, but I also think that domesticated animals may be great companions (wether by choice or not) and you can become truly attatched to them.

Oh! No doubt about that! I agree. I just think that people tend to assign their pets an "artificial" personality, and they also tend to "humanize" them.

I find that is quite innevitable, as people get more attatched to certain things (people included) they tend to modify slightly their characteristics to fit a certain preconception.

No one take offense, everyone does this with anything.

IceBreaker wrote:

Stratolily wrote:This world is more horrible and evil every day. This has to stop. Or we'll regret it at the end...

There will come some profound changes in the world in next 15 years as Timo has said on his forum many many times...

So now you're making a prophet out of this man? I do agree some real serious shit's gonna happen but anyone should see it coming, it doesn't take a rock band guitarist to tell you so. Open your eyes and see for yourself. There's another damn big war coming up and many of us will live long enough to be IN it. Unless we choose otherwise, that's all it takes people. Vote NO WAR.

Jaakko wrote:

IceBreaker wrote:There will come some profound changes in the world in next 15 years as Timo has said on his forum many many times...

So now you're making a prophet out of this man? I do agree some real serious shit's gonna happen but anyone should see it coming, it doesn't take a rock band guitarist to tell you so. Open your eyes and see for yourself. Vote NO WAR.

A tip: Don´t take everything so seriously.

Though TT may have a clue in his thoughts as he is a wise man. But of course everyone can think so that something significant is going to happen if continuing our life in this way.

Jaakko wrote:

IceBreaker wrote:

Stratolily wrote:This world is more horrible and evil every day. This has to stop. Or we'll regret it at the end...

There will come some profound changes in the world in next 15 years as Timo has said on his forum many many times...

So now you're making a prophet out of this man? I do agree some real serious shit's gonna happen but anyone should see it coming, it doesn't take a rock band guitarist to tell you so. Open your eyes and see for yourself. There's another damn big war coming up and many of us will live long enough to be IN it. Unless we choose otherwise, that's all it takes people. Vote NO WAR.

True. Al Cäidä. World Trade Center. Civil war in Irak, Iran making the nuclear bomb (to destroy Israel and probably USA), the protest against the caricatures of the prophet Mahomet, the riots in France (who were about religion)... WW3 (Holy War) is coming...
But I am not sure if voting "NO WAR" might solve this conflict. I'd rather say the opposite. War is not good at all, but if some "enemies" are going to destroy you, you should move your ass (to save it) before it's too late. And for that, you need to strike...

NO WAR!

Most of my depressions are connected with cruelty and violence reigning in the world. I understand only one kind of war - the struggle against true Evil. When will all wars stop?

Some people say they will never end, because thirst for war is in human blood. Do you agree with this statement?

cliff wrote:I am not sure if voting "NO WAR" might solve this conflict. I'd rather say the opposite. War is not good at all, but if some "enemies" are going to destroy you, you should move your ass (to save it) before it's too late. And for that, you need to strike...

I disagree. And who do you mean by enemy? Suddenly, I have a feeling it all comes back to Iraq.

Forget-me-not wrote:I understand only one kind of war - the struggle against true Evil.

I agree with you when you say no war. But I have no idea what you mean by true Evil. What do you call true Evil?

I mean Absolute Evil - thick Darkness, something like Morgoth in "Silmarillion" or his follower Sauron in "The Lord of the Rings"..

Stealth wrote:

cliff wrote:I am not sure if voting "NO WAR" might solve this conflict. I'd rather say the opposite. War is not good at all, but if some "enemies" are going to destroy you, you should move your ass (to save it) before it's too late. And for that, you need to strike...

I disagree. And who do you mean by enemy? Suddenly, I have a feeling it all comes back to Iraq.

Irak ? You got me completely wrong. I meant about Iran, when it's obvious they are going to strike...
In my opinion, the war in Irak was totally stupid and useless.

That tale was something...... touching I, for one understand that so well.... I live in a place where there is about eight cats around.... one of them our own, other seven our neighbours.... every time one of these cats is missing or dying (we had two cats but another wnet missing about a year ago ) every one of us mourn deeply... cats are exelent at showing emotion, you just have to understand them a bit....
When our older cat went missing, Oiva (the one you have seen in my latest picture) was totally lost: I still belive Vallu (the older cat) was a certain like father-figure to him... and whe Vallu disappeared Oiva didn't know what to do...he wandered around the house, mewing a bit with a weak voice, didn't eat so much and just lied around in rooms where there were one of our family members... he just couldn't be a moment alone... seeing him like that just made me very emotional he was seemingly very sad...

Thus, I can say I understand... nobody should ever be judged by their looks, no man, whoman, boy, girl, cat, dog.... you can learn a lot more from the "ugly" ones than the beautyfull ones... usually that's how it goes... sadly the world enjoys the beautyfull ones, and despises the "ugly" ones the wheel of the world works like that....

Thank you, Kain, your words touched my soul very deep...

Morgana wrote:Thank you, Kain, your words touched my soul very deep...

It's a sad story... yes we still mourn for Vallu... but Oiva seems to be fine nowdays he is nice housecat who won't dare to go over 400m away from our house

Kain´s seventh son wrote:we had two cats but another wnet missing about a year ago

My cat left home yesterday and didn't return too..

About the story: it's surprising that cat who was offcasted by whole world because of his appearance retained kindness and love for people. Often social outcasts hide all good feelings deep inside, and hate everybody in response to everybody's indifference or dislike for them. And even if you sincerely want to show your concern and interest to person who is usually disregarded by people because of his/her appearance, behaviour etc., he or she will distrust you and roll him/herself into a ball covered with prickles as hedgehogs do.. They don't believe that anyone can love them. Unfortunately, I had to meet with such outcasts

Forget-me-not wrote: My cat left home yesterday and didn't return too..

I'm so sorry to hear it... Maybe your cat will come back soon, I hope!

Forget-me-not wrote:Often social outcasts hide all good feelings deep inside, and hate everybody in response to everybody's indifference or dislike for them.

It's about me it seems...

Forget-me-not wrote: My cat left home yesterday and didn't return too..

I'm so sorry! Hope your cat returns home soon. I know how you feel...

Stratolily and Morgana, thank you for support! My cat came back some days later! Dirty, stinking and hungry, but came back!!! I was beside myself with worry about her and now I'm happy!

Morgana wrote:

Forget-me-not wrote:Often social outcasts hide all good feelings deep inside, and hate everybody in response to everybody's indifference or dislike for them.

It's about me it seems...

When I wrote those lines, I even couldn't imagine they were about you..

Oh Olesia!!! I'm so happy that your cat came back!!! I know what is it to lost a cat so - congratulations!

Forget-me-not wrote:Stratolily and Morgana, thank you for support! My cat came back some days later! Dirty, stinking and hungry, but came back!!! I was beside myself with worry about her and now I'm happy!

I'm so happy for you! Can I give you an advice? Take your cat to the vet to get neutered/ stayed ( I don't know what word is for a female cat ) and she won't get lost anymore.

Stratolily wrote:I'm so happy for you! Can I give you an advice? Take your cat to the vet to get neutered/ stayed ( I don't know what word is for a female cat ) and she won't get lost anymore.

Thank you for the advise! But I'm afraid she is too old to have an operation. She takes her contraceptives regularly

Ah! Then is ok!

And the word is spayed, not stayed.