Barreling down the highway on our way home from school one day last week our car approached two tractor trailers. As I prepared to pass them E. (12 year old daughter) asked:
Mom, what kind of truck it that? Why are there holes in it?
Mom: It is a stock carrier. It carries farm animals.
We pulled up next to the trailer and then passed it. I did not glance over.
E: Mom! Mom! They are piggy's! Little piggy's! Oh, they are so cute. Mom, can I have a pig? Please, please, please, please, please can I have a pig. I'll take care of it. Promise! Plllleeeeaaasssee.
Mom: No. Pigs. Ever. When you are an adult you can live with as many pigs as you want but until then, no pigs in my house.
E. Fine (said with serious attitude).......Mom, are those pigs going to be killed? Slaughtered?
Joshua, my nine year old son, had been blissfully reading Calvin & Hobbs in the backseat and had not noticed the pig carrier. At the mention of the word slaughtered however, his head popped up and his eyes grew wide.
Mom: Yes, It is most likely that at some point those pigs will be killed and then sold as meat for people to eat.
J. Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Mom: But Joshua, pigs are where bacon comes from. And pork chops, ham, sausage. You love bacon.
J. I am never eating bacon again. Or anything from a pig. Ever. Killing pigs is cruel. How do they kill them anyhow?
At this point I had moved over into the right hand lane and slowed down. I can not drive fast and have deep philosophical discussions at the same time. It was at this point that the two stock carriers passed me. And I got to see for myself that they were indeed carrying pigs. Sticking out of most of the lower level of air holes were pig stouts. Lots and lots of tiny, pink pig snouts. Just like Babes. I could even see them moving. No eyes. No mouths. Just the little, pink snouts.
J. Mom! Mom! Stop laughing! Mom! It is not funny. Mom! Stop NOW.
E. Mom, are you going to be O.K.? Here's a tissue. Mom, it's not that funny. Those pigs are going to die soon and you're laughing.
J. Noooooooooo! I WILL NEVER EAT PIG AGAIN. EVER, EVER, EVER.
My sense of humor horrifies my children on occasion. My sense of humor keeps me sane.
Monday, October 08, 2007
Oink
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
4 comments:
it is such a hard truth... but that would likely have evoked a giggle in me too!
hahahha. You should have seen me when I was about 9 and figured out that eggs came out of chickens BUTTS. I stopped eating eggs for a long time after that. If I think about it too much even now it makes me a little sick to my stomach.
Your sense of humor is flawless. Your sense of smell was probably glad your windows were rolled up.
We are so like peas in a pod. Or should I say pigs in a pen... because I would have tormented my kids the same way.
Post a Comment