Zman had an interesting piece the other day (I poached his title) about happening upon a dead deer while on a walk. A few kids were milling around it.
A few moments of banter between us confirmed that they had never seen a dead animal this close. At first that seemed unbelievable, but they probably spend most of their days inside playing games or in controlled experiments we call school, so the odds of seeing anything in nature are low. At that age, their experience with death is their character dying in a video game. There are no sad lifeless eyes looking up at them in whatever game is popular at the moment.
Zman
We are so remote from this these days. These kids probably have no clue about what is behind those packs of hamburger their mothers buy. I’ve seen a couple great videos on farm-to-table, and both pointed out that it would be a worthwhile exercise for kids to see where their food comes from.
In a world where the consequences of flouting nature are brutal and personal, one must respect the reality of the human condition and pass that respect onto the next generation. The man with a son makes sure his son learns the reality of death at a young age, usually by having his son take the life of an animal hunting or farming.
Zman
First time you hunt and kill something it hits you. A tinge of guilt. It’s why when there’s a possum in the yard, I’ll bring the dogs in for a few hours to give it a chance. That, and they are generally beneficial to have around.
I can tell you that from this summer’s misery with Jethro, you will never forget when the lights go out in someone, or something you love. It etches your soul. Not many experience that. Certainly not the ‘teens’ these days, who have a rather cavalier attitude towards death.
It’s not a video game, it’s real. And the sooner you figure that out, the better.
Inspected By Pat 