I’ve written and re-written this thing ten different times tonight. And I still can’t quite get it right. I’m always afraid I will upset someone.
So I’ll just put it out there. Imagine my surprise when I saw the third photograph. I’ll tell you why in a moment.
We all like different activities for a wide number of reasons. That is what makes us “individuals” among many.
I have a lot of friends who like things from one end of the spectrum to the other. There are some who like to paint, practice meditation, dance. Others like to go hunting, to go shopping, or to go berserk. Some play softball, and others play cards. There are those who like to cook…. or clean… or sew… or build. You see. It goes from A to Z.
I like a wide range of activities. Some more than others. Drawing, photography, writing… are among my favorites. I like a good game of something too. Fond of nature… yes I am. As long as I can get a hot shower, and a clean, warm bed at the end of the day.
But there are two things I have never liked… and probably never will. One of those is …. ice-cream with chocolate syrup and whipped cream….over waffles. (Bad experience as a kid.)
And the other is hunting. Now I know folks do it for food. But I still don’t quite like it… for a couple of reasons. (Bad experiences… again.)
Our neighbors were hunting deer. They say the like the meat and such. That’s fine… if you can end the deer’s life painlessly. Instantly. (I hope they do the same for pigs, and cows, and chickens, when they go to slaughter…. although those conditions are far from humane either.)
But back to the chase and shoot scenario. Our neighbors. They shot a deer this winter and it ran toward our property. They asked if they could come check our acreage for the wounded deer.
Yes, we said. Find it. Put it out of its misery. But they had no success. They found and followed the blood trail. Mary went with them to try and assist. No deer.
After the fruitless search… I became upset. All I could think of was the wounded deer … in the thick of this god-forsaken winter. I cried about that deer. And worried.
But guess what happened yesterday … I found her. On the Deer Cam.
Yep… here, in the third photo down… you can see her front and center. Wounded…. gun shot.. .. but mending.
So that is one reason I don’t care for hunting. She suffered because someone was a crappy marksman. She had to survive an already horrible winter… with a bunch of buckshot in her. I bet that hurt a LOT.
Maybe it shouldn’t matter to me. But somehow, I feel a connection to those deer. I feed them. I very sit still and watch them. And. They watch me.
Hypocrite? Maybe I am. Yep, I had a Roast Beef sandwich for dinner tonight. With Velveeta Cheese of all things.
But the deal is…the truth is …..I simply don’t know how it all should work.
One thing IS certain though. There will be no waffles with ice cream, chocolate syrup and whipped cream for me. THAT is where I totally put my foot down. For sure.