Ever since we adopted Joan — our kitty who was found on the streets of Tennessee with her siblings and many kittens — my husband Michael has been “speaking” for Joan by saying, in a high Southern-accented voice, “I do what I want!”
Joan does what she wants by
- chasing our other cat Harley around the house,
- sitting where she wants to sit,
- playing when she wants to play,
- sleeping when and where she wants to sleep, and
- generally, being cat.
Joan does what she wants within the confines of wearing a cone …
… as her skin infection heals. Actually, if she was really doing what she wants, she wouldn’t be wearing that damned cone, but she’s doing just fine.
“I do what I want” is also what many humans say as they get older and wiser. I discovered this, again, when I tweeted this yesterday:
Many people on Twitter agreed with me and shared how they do what they want, more and more, as they get older. Somebody actually responded with this:
.
Here are some other responses:
I do what I want when I create this daily blog, so I want to share the photos I took yesterday at work and at home. You do what you want with these:
The Daily Bitch does what she wants. Do you?
I do what I want and I want to see what I find when I search YouTube for “I do what I want.”
I do what I want and I also want to include some music here. Here’s “Do What You Want” from OK Go.
I do what I want and I always want to end these posts with gratitude for all who visit this blog, including YOU!
I love that “I Do What I Want” mug. I saw that same image, with the hilariously drawn cat, on someone’s tote on the NYC subway a couple years ago. I snapped a photo of it because it made me laugh. Thanks for giving me another laugh this morning. I believe that is my cat Stevie’s life philosophy!
I want comments from you, Kelly, and I love this one! Regards to you and Stevie!
Sadly, so many consider they can do what they want without regard to social responsibilities. There lies the potential for chaos.
I agree, Peter
I want more people to think like you !
Each day I look forward to seeing new pictures of Joan. No disrespect to Harley intended.
Each day I look forward to your comments!
i’m totally with you and joan on this. we’ve earned ‘doing what i want’ rights, through experience and living life with challenges and still standing. if i had to wear a cone for an extended time, i’d be pissed off too, so people really have no reason to complain about a little cloth mask, try wearing a cone!
I want you to be in charge, beth!
I often like to step back and let others do what they want because that way they can feel free to be funny, like Michael giving Joan a Southern accent which makes me laugh so much. Now I want to hear her say, “With God as my witness I’ll never wear this cone again!”
It makes me laugh and almost cry that Joan does what she wants licking her wound NO MATTER WHAT CONE we put on her. After a few days, she figured out how to get around the one in this post. See tomorrow’s post for the latest cone.
Most days I do what I want, which includes reading this delightful blog. Loved all the thank-you notes for healthcare workers. As many others have noted, however, I wish a few more people would do what the collective wants and get their damn jab and wear a mask. Sigh….
I want more people to be like you, my delightful friend.
I want to say have a good day doing what you want, Ann. I want to get ready to go to my library job.
I hope you get to do what you want there, my friend!
Perhaps the adage: ‘I do what I want’ is similar in meaning to:
“Whatever I do is done out of sheer joy; I drop my fruits like a ripe tree. What the general reader or the critic makes of them is not my concern”-Henry Miller
I do like your comments, Maria.
If you’re willing to share a bit, I think I’ll symbolically adopt Joan as my spirit-animal! I do feel that as I age I’m able to do much more of what I want and I don’t have the same concerns about that I once had. But Joan can inspire me to make sure I keep on that path. 🙂
You and Joan both inspire me to do what I want!
Gratitude seems to be the secret to a contented life.
💯