Page 5

PLSO Issue 2 2015 March April

Herding cats 3 Professional Land Surveyors of Oregon | www.plso.org „ Greg Crites, PLS EDITOR’S NOTE Most of you know that after a long hiatus from the institution of marriage, I returned to marital bliss some three years ago. The combining of our respective households included a couple of cats named Benedict and Rosalind. Having cats in my life required some adjustments. Growing up, cats were a large part of my childhood, but around my 26th birthday, I realized that I had developed a significant allergy to them and was instructed by my allergist that if I wanted any kind of quality of life going forward, I needed to cut them out of my living space. It didn’t take long to figure out how badly my cat was influencing my health, so I found a good home for my latest pet and went on with my life without them. Over four years ago, I met my wife-to-be and the only reservations I had about any permanent arrangements revolved around her two cats. What soon dawned on me was that all the allergy treatments I’d gone through to overcome my sensitivities must have worked. Remarkably, cats weren’t bothering me all that much! Now, leap forward a few years. I’ve had time to study cats from a more “adult” perspective. First, they are independent. No matter how much I think they know the house rules, they only follow them when they choose. There seems to be a parallel here with complaints brought before OSBEELS. With the possession of a license, surveyors know very well what the rules are that define the boundaries of their practice, yet some choose to bend the rules (or even believe that they don’t apply to them). Benedict loves to jump on our kitchen counters, even though he knows that’s not allowed! Hmmm. He also loves to have his belly rubbed and purrs mightily when he’s receiving this attention. I think I know a few surveyors who thrive on getting their egos stroked. Could there be a parallel there? Benedict goes crazy when he plays. The bliss he derives from play behavior is self-evident. I watch surveyors standing around in the corridors between conference sessions and can’t help but recognize how animated they become when engrossed in conversations about what they’re most passionate about: surveying. Some of their wild gestures employed while emphasizing an important point resemble a certain cat I know pretty well. Of course, what cat comparison would be complete without mentioning their nocturnal behavior? Our cats are strictly indoor models (there are far too many coyotes in our neighborhood wanting to devour them). This doesn’t seem to detract from their natural instincts to hunt. Benedict reenacts elaborate role plays when he hunts—stalking, pouncing, tormenting, batting and all the while emitting these primitive sounds that only a cat would understand but certainly are employed only when hunting is the game. Once he feels his imaginary prey is sufficiently expired, he has a unique voice that says he will soon arrive with his trophy. Sure enough, gleefully bounding over the foot of our bed at 2 am with prey firmly planted between his teeth, he’ll drop his kill on the comforter in search of my approval for his great hunting prowess. I don’t want to know about the nocturnal behavior of surveyors, but it seems that many surveyors are also hunters. Could there be another comparison? How many trophies do you have mounted on your walls? There is one more point I wish to make and, of course, it’s the real point of this editorial. Many of you know that cats have a reputation as being fiercely independent (does that not sound like a surveyor?). I can never get our cats to come to me when I want them to, unless I have a morsel of food in my hand. Otherwise, they exhibit a maddening indifference to my presence and are content to sit in the front room staring out the window, seemingly dreaming of other lives when they were free to roam the outdoors. Coincidentally, if we offer meals at the conference and just happen to hold a “brief” meeting immediately afterwards, we can expect to have adequate participation (though sadly that’s no guarantee). In fact, what PLSO meeting doesn’t have some sort of food enticement to ensure adequate participation? » continues on page 6 »


PLSO Issue 2 2015 March April
To see the actual publication please follow the link above