Year of the Rat

Since I live in a city with a longstanding, large and influential Chinese population, I not only know that this is now the Year of the Rat, but that it is supposedly MY year. I was born, in the Chinese horoscope, a Rat, an Earth Rat, to be precise. As if being a Pisces and a homo wasn't enough! :-)

I am a lover of grand explanatory schemes. Very unPoMo. Illusory or not, they fascinate me and, if I choose to take them seriously, they sometimes make me feel more at ease in a world that often baffles me. The Jungian-inspired MBTI or the God-Knows-By-Whom inspired Enneagram. Astrology, not much.

Nevertheless, as Elinor Roosevelt said.

Here's the layout for Rats Like Me. I wish I were indeed more rat-like than I really am. Especially when it comes to money.

The Rat in the picture above, now him I can identify with. I have no idea what the Chinese says. But the guy is clearly not happy. A great crime, I know, but there you have it. Seems to be stuck in something. And he's both angry...maybe frustrated is better...and crying. Rats are supposed to be clever. Maybe he wasn't.

Who's to blame for this state of affairs? Is he mad at someone else? Or maybe himself.

Poor dude.