The Post-Christmas collective sigh

As we trampled each other at the stores while listening to a Christmas Carol that said, “Peace on Earth, good will toward men,” we failed to remember one important concept.

One creature is forced to eat another creature to survive.

As fate would have it, my stomach is violently opposed to eating pork.  Perhaps it’s physical, but I will readily consider that it could be psychological.  Once the violent eruption feels as if your internal organs are coming out at the same time as your dinner, and you truly believe you’re dying, you tend to omit those things from your diet that cause it.

This is bizarre, and the fact that I know it’s bizarre is rather disturbing.  A friend of my better half raises pigs (I’ll call him “John”) and most of the pigs were disgusting creatures.  His latest bid to raise his own lunch is different. The day I saw her, “John” said, “She knows it’s almost time to kill her.”

I suppose pigs can have levels of intelligence, too; some are intellectually deficient while others are the rocket scientists of the pig kingdom.  This pig looked up at me with eyes that asked, “Please help me. I don’t want to die.”  

I said to “John”, “She knows, and she’s depressed.”

He laughed and threw more insults at her.  It was like watching a bunch of children teasing the smallest child.  Since that day, his girlfriend has adamantly refused to allow the pig to be killed and says the pig is her pet.

But alas, I digress.

In childhood I ate the meat and didn’t think about the animal.  Is there a huge awakening happening around the world? When did we become aware that all animals have emotions, all animals love, and most animals have a sense of smell, hearing, and a survival skill that far surpasses humans?

I love the “awakening.”  I’m wondering when we’ll have the same awakening regarding humans?