During Peace Corps training in Africa we lived with host families. When my fellow volunteers and I arrived in our village our families threw celebrations in our honor. I was so happy because another volunteer named Karen was living right next door to me. During my exploration of my new home, I walked to the backyard and saw a goat in Karen's yard. I thought wow, they have a pet goat. Moments later I looked on as some men walked over and slaughtered the goat. I was so naïve.
For a long time whenever I witnessed a slaughtering, I sympathized with the animal. I think it was easy for me to do this because I wasn't eating it (remember I don't eat red meat). It wasn't sustaining me. I was disconnected from it.
All of this came full circle for me at a party with my new in-laws [My Namibian hubby and I got married in Africa]. The men were slaughtering a goat when my sister in law, Nat, came over to me and told me that it wasn't cool to act disgusted by the sight of a slaughtering. I hadn't intended to act like that. I even tried to put up a brave front, but I guess my face showed it all. She told me that it was part of their tradition, and that they slaughter the animals expertly and humanely. That they use the animal in its entirety, not letting anything go to waste. If they didn't have this meat in the Kalahari Desert where we lived, they would starve. Nat led me to a very powerful realization that day. I was uncomfortable because I was not just disconnected from the animals they were slaughtering, but also from my own food.
I was used to going to the supermarket, and buying a cellophane-wrapped package with pink meat in it labeled chicken. Of course I knew it was a chicken, but had no real connection, nor respect for the animal. I didn't know, didn't want to know, nor care where it came from. I would hear horror stories about the treatment of the animals, but remained in complete denial. Now, faced with this new reality, I knew I needed to be more informed.
Now I make sure I educate myself on where my food comes from, and consider how that animal was treated. Along with this, it is of the utmost importance to me to slow down and give thanks to my food. It was once a living breathing animal or thriving plant, and now it has given over its energy so that I can have energy. That is the ultimate sacrifice.
Food is one of the only true necessities for our survival, how can we take it so lightly?
~Riss
Posts
I had completely forgotten about that day and truthfully, i used to have the same reaction to slaughtering when i was much younger,it was my mom that explained it all to me..she told me that this animal will feed and sustain us and that we should be thankfull,today i understand what exactly she was trying to tell me.
ReplyDelete