Whenadirtyanduntidyorangecatshowedupintheprisonyard,Iwasoneofthefirsttogooutthereandpetit.Ihadn’ttouchedacatoradoginover20years.Ispentatleast20minutes,kneltdownbehindthekitchenasthecatrolledaround,relaxed.WhathewasexpressingoutwardlyIwasfeelinginwardly.ItwasanamazingbitofgracetofeelhimundermyhandandnotethatIwasreachingalifeoranothercreaturewithsomethingassimpleasmycare.
Overthenextfewdays,therewereotherprisonersrespondingtothecat.Everyyardperiod,agroupofprisonersgatheredthere.Theystoodaroundtalkingandtakingturnspettingthecat.Thesewereguysyouwouldn’tusuallyfindtalkingtoeachother.SeveraltimesIsawanofficerinthegroup,notchasingpeopleawaybutjustwatchingandseemingtoenjoyalongwiththeprisoners.Bowlsofmilkandwaterappearedalongwithbreadwiselyplacedundertheedgeofthedustbintokeepthebirdsfromgettingit.
Thecatwasobviouslyhomelessandinprettybadshape.Peoplesaidthatthecatcametotherightplace.He'sgettingtreatedlikeaking.Thiswastrue.butasIwatchedIwasalsothinkingaboutwhatthecatwasdoingforus.Therewasalotoftalkaboutwhat'swrongwithprisonsinAmerica.Weneedmoreprograms.Weneedmorepsychologistsortreatmentofvariouskinds.Somemayeventalkaboutmakingprisonsmorekind.ButIthinkwhatwereallyneedisachancetopractiseourownkindness.Notreceiveit,butgiveit.Aftermorethantwodecadeshere,Iknowkindnessisnotavaluethat'sencouraged.It'softenseenasaweakness.
Instead,thecultureencourageskeepingyourheaddown,mindingyourownbusiness,andneverlettingyourselfbeweak.
Thecatdidmyheartgoodtoseetheeffecthehadonmeandthemenhere.Bysimplysaying,”Ineedsomehelphere”,hedidsomethingimportantforus.Heneededus.Andweneededtobeneeded.Ibelievewealldo.
【小题1】Fromthepassage,wecanlearnthattheauthorwas .