Bumps On A Log
A Cat and a Frog were sitting on a log in the forest. They weren’t doing much. Just enjoying each other’s presence in this moment as they watched the world made its rounds.
“I guess we’re just a couple of bumps on a log.” The Frog turned and said to the Cat.
The Cat immediately took offense. She never considered herself as anything even close to some bump on a log. This accusation from the Frog had come entirely out of nowhere. A total and complete gut punch. Another wonderful afternoon ruined by a long-standing colloquialism that folks simply did not take the time to think through.
“How dare you say that to me!” The Cat replied, indignant, “I am not now, nor ever been, a bump on a log. I’m a fully capable, confidant and exciting feline and any space I take up in this world is conscious, deliberate, and full of grace!”
The Frog was taken aback. He didn’t mean any offense at all by what he thought was just an innocent phrase, yet here he was being berated. Why did he have to open his big mouth and make a dumb, silly, innocent quip to ruin the serenity? He could have just been silent.
“Hey, sorry, I didn’t really think about that phrase before I said it,” the Frog replied, “I was really just saying it to say it.”
“Well it felt judgmental like I’m not doing anything but sitting on this log right now,” the Cat added, “I can assure you I’ve got things happening, a lot of things going on actually, all the time. Just because I be making moves in silence and don’t mean I’m just sitting here all like a lazy bump on a log! But thanks for acknowledging what you said, I’m sorry my response was a little over the top, I blew a gasket.”
“Hey let’s just move past it, you know?” The Frog urged, “Let’s just get back to enjoying the day.”
“Sounds great to me,” the Cat concurred, “It’s my most favorite thing to do.”
“Mine too,” the Frog replied.
“Trees have a good life,” mused the Cat, “They stand there for hundreds of years and just watch the world go by. Gosh, I wonder what it’s like to live that simple of a life, sitting in one place and watching the world go by all around you,” said the Cat.
“That’s…” the Frog started, “That’s all that the phrase… two bumps on a… you know what, never mind.”
The two friends ended up having a wonderful time together, each one glad to accompany the other, watching the day go by like two bumps on….. Ah! Almost slipped up there and said it myself.