Night cat by Alyssa

Night cat by Alyssa - January 2019 Scholarship Essay

A night owl happens to be a unrelatable animal for me. I define myself as a night cat; not because I become stealthy and antisocial, but instead because of my cat herself. I found myself in the middle of the school year with a workload that, just by looking
at it, made me want to curl up in a ball and disappear. I didn't know how to get all my work done and still be sane by the end of the day. Lucky for me I happen to have owned a beautiful, but quit curmudgeon cat. I found myself staying up giving her attention.
Staying up became a habit. When bored, I would read my book or do assignments due the next day. Little by little I found myself being my best when the sun went down. Then BOOM! It was just part of me as a human being to stay up working and running things through
my brain. Without my wonderful cat keeping me busy to 12 a.m. I would still be dealing with a homework pile deemed impossible.
Now it is embedded in my brain to get work done at
my table, my cat in my lap, pencil in hand, getting things done. Her purr fueled me to do my best, and it started to show. My paintings became more detailed with my dedicated practice, expanding my creativity. My writing skills in English class led me to write
long narratives, raising my grade. All of this and my internal wanting to be up and doing things just magically turned on while the shadows slowly take over the night leaving only two things: The darkness, and me.
I now know myself better than ever because of great
habits that origin from me wanting to just play with a cat. To this day, even though she is no longer around, my habits to do my best and work my hardest at anything I put my hands on still flows in my blood. At this very moment im sitting in the darkness
of my room typing up a final draft in the dead of night. Lurking in the darkness, my computer light and the glare of fresh new eyes of inspiration and dedication. So instead of calling myself a night owl; night cat is my true name.