Remembering Tom and Jerry

When I was just a young lad, back before the days of answering machines and microwave ovens, I enjoyed coming home from school and watching a television program called "Tom and Jerry". Maybe you've heard of it. It was a show about a cat and a mouse. It was great fun to watch these two natural enemies navigate their way through their cartoon world.

Sometimes I related to Jerry. The poor, little rodent was just trying to make a better life for himself, but he had to constantly dodge an angry, hungry feline who was out for blood.

Most of the time, I identified with Tom. On the surface, Tom was a simple cat. He enjoyed blues music, female cats with long eyelashes, and fresh-baked pie. Unfortunately for him, his owner had a pest problem and apparently didn't have the money to hire a trapper.

Deep down, Tom was as complicated as you and me. He had complex feelings and often struggled with ethical decisions. In animated form, these decisions manifested themselves as a little angel standing on one shoulder and a little devil on the other.

Often, when I am trying to figure out how to respond appropriately to a situation, I think of Tom and try to recognize what my little angel is saying versus what my little devil is saying. It's good to take the time to weigh your response before you say something you regret.

I'm not sure what made me think of Tom and Jerry. I don't really like cats. I'm allergic to them and they have a tendency to vomit on your couch whenever they feel like it. I also think all mice should be fed to snakes.

As for "Tom and Jerry" the television show: eventually, the show morphed into a piece of crap. Jerry began wearing a bowtie, Tom lost his ability to frown or get angry, and the two of them were suddenly best pals. It might be one of the worst cases of jumping the shark ever in television history. Whoever made the decision to take the show in that direction was obviously listening to the little idiot standing on one of his shoulders.