I get much enjoyment out of watching my one-year old striped gray tabby cat chase the leaves during the fall and winter weather. When we first got him last spring, he chased anything that moved, and learned to catch grasshoppers (and eat them....good protein!), and chase strings, twigs and grass. When fall arrived and the wind blew everything all over the yard, Bucky not only chased leaves, he brought them back to us as if they were his 'kill'. He actually did kill a young snake and several small bugs. During the winter, he jumped up to catch snowflakes. But, the mice we wanted him to catch and dispose of were a problem. He caught the mouse and played with it, so eventually the mouse ran away.
With winter and early spring winds, he reverted to bringing us his captured leaves. Now I have a question about this activity: Is chasing leaves what he does for fun, or is it his way of honing his skills for when he gets to catch a bird, or hopefully a mouse? He's a cat so only he knows.
Discussion: Can you relate to how metaphorically 'catching leaves' could be a way a person focuses on pursuing a goal that is not as helpful as another goal would be?