echofonic

According to legend, when the Earth God was establishing all things on the planet, he held a race of animals to determine the Chinese calendar system. Only the first twelve animals to cross the finish line would be represented. The cat and rat were concerned about their size and strength in comparison to the other animals, so they partnered together to find a solution. They approached the ox, who was strong and fast but nearly blind, and they offered a deal: If the ox would let them ride on its back, they would guide the ox to the finish line, thus ensuring that each of them would be represented in the new calendar. The ox accepted.

The race began, and with the aid of the cat and the rat, the ox easily held the lead. At the very end of the race, right before the finish line, there was a wide and fast-flowing river. The three, strong, clever, and true, plunged into the waters and towards their places in history. Suddenly, and without warning, the rat pushed the cat off of oxs back and into the water. Then, just as the ox was approaching the finish line, the rat leapt off his back and into the lead.

The rat was declared the victor, the first to cross the finish line - followed by the ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog, and boar. The cat was the thirteenth animal to finish, and thus was not included in the Chinese calendar. Since that time, cats and rats have been sworn enemies.


I was the Cat before I was a Tiger. I was the Ox with the Rat on my back.


I read a prediction late last winter, just before the turn of the new year, that 2008 was going to be a sexy year maybe even the sexiest ever. I read a lot of things like that last year: Predictions and plans that all went awry and unraveled. They were wrong from the start. 2008 was not a sexy year. Not by a long-shot.

But its over. 2008 is over, and so is the year of the Rat, and so is every damned thing that kept me up at night, all night, so many nights. I have never been so glad to see a year come to an end. Felt more like an age to me.

Hello Ox. What took you so long?