Well, let’s just say that I have been a fan of Tigers my whole life. A recurring theme, so to speak.

So it stands to reason that today my Happy Holly Project activity was to go see the new 3D movie, Life Of Pi.

Well, that and the popcorn.

The popcorn was great.

And by the way, if you thought the movie Lincoln was too cerebral, you probably wouldn’t like Pi either.

Just as a tiger is, so was the movie.

Mysterious, Fascinating and Beautiful.

The story revolves around a young Indian man and his journey to safety after a ship wrecks … leaving he and a Tiger alone on a life boat.

I will not share too much about the story … no spoilers or spoiler alerts here … but suffice it to say that it was well done.

It also explores what people choose to believe and why. And how that might connect to their spiritual and religious beliefs and outlook on life.

Oh, and it has nice 3D, too.

My first connection to a Tiger goes way back to my early childhood … when my German-accented Grandpap gave me a Steiff Tiger Puppet.

This puppet accompanied me everywhere. Around the house, to bed, to the hospital … everywhere.

And of course he was named Daniel … in the manner of Daniel Strip-ed Tiger from Mr. Rogers fame. After all Mr. Rogers and I were from the same town, right?

This was something that resonated when I first read Calvin and Hobbes. I understood perfectly.

Logic … with a bit of quirky thrown in.

A lot like me, I suppose.

Once more Tigers were something I identified with.

This has extended to my adult life as well.

If you have looked carefully at some of the pictures of my favorite space in my house … my creative space (the former living room) you might notice that over there, on the wall, there is a framed cartoon of Calvin and Hobbes … which combines one of my two favorite cartoonists and my hometown.

In the for what its worth department, the other favorite cartoonist does Pearls Before Swine … and there is a framed (and autographed) cartoon combining it and my hometown hanging nearby.

The Tiger has made frequent appearances in my Facebook page as well … both as my profile picture and as my cover picture.

What can I say?

I like Tigers.

There are a lot of characteristics of the Tiger that I identify with as well.

They tend to live alone … check.
They are survivors … check.
They can eat large quantities of meat at one time … check.
They have large teeth … check.
They go for the throat … only when hurt.
They leave scratches on trees as territorial markers … on trees, huh?
They have round pupils and yellow irises …

About the eyes … they have riveting eyes. Rumor has it that I have pretty eyes as well. At least that’s what I have been told my whole life. Usually along with some other disclaimer.

“Well, she’s not beautiful, but she has beautiful eyes and a great smile.”

But truth be told, my daughter is the one with the yellow / hazel eyes … my eyes are … well … a combination of all light colors.

Once upon a time someone wrote a fable about me … in which I am a Tiger. As I recall he was an Elephant … not to be confused with the Elephant In The Room … and for that matter, his birthday is on 3-14 … Pi … now there is a weird coincidence.

But I digress.

Over the years, I have seen many pictures and cartoons about Tigers.

Some have been funny.

Some have been not so funny.

But this one in which a cat is painting a self-portrait really struck home.

It is this characteristic that I like the best of all of them.

Poised Self-Assurance.

Something I finally developed over a great period of time … at least in my professional life. And except for the heartbreak of last year, it is a trait I have had in my private life as well.

So no matter what others think of me, the most important thing is what I know about myself. What others think of me is none of my business.

Not that I was like that as a child.

But that’s another story.