Even I have to draw the line somewhere

I am about as dedicated a cat lady as you can get. We used to have three of the little buggers, and if our remaining cat wasn't 18 and a crotchedy old lady who was terrorized by one of our former cats, and we hadn't made a promise to her that she could live out the rest of her days as undisputed queen of the apartment (and it is, I promise, undisputed) - well, I'm sure I'd have more than one cat right now.

I tell you this by way of preface. It's necessary for understanding the rest of the post. To wit:

My law school (like, doubtless, all the others) has these big composite pictures of each graduating class - a great big frame filled with all our lovely little head shots. These things are scattered all over the building, the oldest ones relegated to the basement (for instance, the class from the year that I was born had ONE woman graduate), and getting more and more recent as you ascend in the building. They're fun to look at (or depressing - see ONE woman graduate). I've looked up a few of my bosses/supervisors. I've admired the changing hair styles and fashion. Right near my locker, there's one guy at eye-level who was so TOTALLY channeling early-Friends Chandler Bing. I also like to look at what would have been "my" class if I'd gone to law school right after undergrad. I so know the hairstyles in that composite. 

Anyway, some people clearly get way into being "creative" with their pictures. There are the two guys whose pictures are next to each other, each pointing out of the shot at the other one. There's at least one guy wearing ye olde fashioned judge wig and holding a gavel. One guy's holding up a bunch of fanned-out money (stay classy, dude). You get the idea.

And a number of folks aren't alone in their picture. Some people hold a baby (I had thought this was mostly women, but actually, now that I think about it, I think it's mostly men who do this). More common, however, is people getting their picture taken with their dogs - both men and women, though I think more men than women. There are quite a few happy Fidos grinning along with their graduating owner.

And then, there is the Cat Lady.

Because one of my predecessors in law school thought it was a good idea to bring her cat to school and get her class picture taken with her cat.

Now, maybe the cat was immensely gregarious and liked going to law school for the day. Maybe this woman had tons of friends in the class who'd been over to her place and met her cat and loved her cat. Maybe the cat had become an unofficial class mascot.

Or, just maybe, this was a Crazy Cat Lady.

Because dudes, I love my cats. I mean, I LOVE them. They are my furry children and they run my life. 

But there's no way in hell I'm getting my composite picture taken with my cat.*

 

*Just as well, since I got it taken in October. I went with the lawyer uniform - a black blazer and white blouse. I figure that way, my clothing will be boring as hell, but timeless, and therefore invisible. So hopefully no one will find anything TOO amusing to point out, as my class's picture makes its inevitable way down to the basement.

Comments

[Another Damned Medievalist]

and yet ... somebody has to counterbalance the dogs!

[Dr. Moonbeam]

Hey, we call Juno our dog-child. So I can see someone wanting to have her cat with her - who knows, it might well have been with her through good times and bad longer than any human companion!

[still here]

You guys have LOCKERS???

[New Kid on the Hallway]

Didn't you know that law school is just like high school on steroids??

[Anthea]

Wow...lockers.