They Had No Idea

We were waiting at the red light when they appeared out of nowhere. I looked up and came face to face with the faces of those beautiful, gentle creatures destined to become dinner.

One cow was black with an 'invisible' body, hidden inside the long metal container of the truck; another, an exquisite beige coat outlined in black was a striking looking animal. I knew where they were going. Sadly, I was complicit in this story. As I looked further inside the interior of this massive truck, I could see many more victims, looking at me with their peaceful faces. I cried as I thought of them all day long. 

Many times, I have seen these large container trucks, adorned with open air 'windows' allowing the animals inside to breathe during transport. (They mustn't die before their appointed time.) I had never been this close to the stars of the summer barbecue. The meat from these animals are irreverently smoked, seared, braised or stewed till tender. Charbroiled is the name of this high heat game. I'm sure these precious animals were tender to the touch long before their eventual demise. 

Food shows seem to show little respect for these animals who have given their lives in the name of charbroiled steaks, barbecue ribs or chicken. Sauces are created to decorate these meats for that super sweet taste. We protest animal cruelty as we eat our steaks and burgers. Plant based 'meat' never looked so good.

The internet did not exist when I was a little girl. The topic of meat never came up. We bought some, cooked it then ate it. The process repeated itself, week to week, when my parents could afford meat. I was never much of a meat eater, anyway. Thankfully. 

My love affair with homemade noodles, sauerkraut, garlic, onions, salads, tomato sauces and my all time favourite - buckwheat kasha - carried me into the future. The latter was a middle of the week dinner as was borscht. I did not connect the dots then. Meat was different from live animals, I thought as a little girl. At one point, I wondered how people on television shows could fit into such small spaces in our black and white t.v.. Weren't these people tired after the 11:00 p.m news? I have since grown up. I'm not a little girl though at times, I'm happy to be one. It's simpler that way.

Those beautiful cows standing in those death trucks were not aware of their impending fate. Everything seemed fine. I looked at them and thought how wonderful it is when I hear the words, vegan or vegetarian. These are the enlightened folks who realize the health benefits of eating foods that do not bleed! The times are a changing and I'm working on it!