Witnessing the birth of an activist

***DISCLAIMER***

The following post is not endorsing, advocating, or preaching the viewpoints of animal rights activists, vegetarians, or vegans NOR is it blasting hunters, meat eaters, etc.  I have my opinions about these matters and I'm sure you do, too.  I respect your views and your right to have them.  This is about my son, not about politics.

 

I've been trying to step back and watch my children from a distant perspective lately and I've been amazed at what I've seen.  They are getting older and much wiser and I'm realizing that they don't apply to "the rules."  There are certain things that they are ready for at a much younger age than I was, a much younger age that some other children might be.  They are much more aware of what is going on around them and they seem to be much more capable of integrating different ideas and concepts into their daily lives and discussions.  As a result, I've been letting them watch parts of documentaries with me - documentaries on the women's prison system, on deafness, on homosexual parenting, adoption, slavery, and more.

 

Most children, if given the chance, will set their own boundaries and limits with regards to what they can handle.  My children have grasped this concept of self lead exposure with both hands and they do a remarkable job of listening to their own cues.  When they are interested, they come and sit and ask questions.  When it's too much for them or they've just had enough, they get up, kiss my cheek, and move on.  As their brains mull over the bits and pieces they have picked up, they come back and ask more questions - sometimes days or weeks later.  I'm telling you, these kids get it.  They understand so much more than I've given them credit for.  They can handle a lot.

 

Lately, Duck has been taking a deep interest in the plight of animals.  There is a commercial on TV airing these days about a "Hands Free Mouse Trap" that "Kills mice dead."  This really bothers him.  He doesn't understand why folks would kill a mouse.  To his reasoning, if someone doesn't want a mouse in their house, why don't they just put the mouse outside where it's supposed to live anyway?  After all, says Duck, the mouse is probably just trying to get back outside to his mouse hole and his family.  For days and days, we've been talking about this.  He feels we must save all mice.  ALL MICE.  He even wants to make Tshirts.

 

We watched A Natural History of the Chicken and he grasped onto the idea of free range chickens like most 5 year olds would grasp onto a candy bar - he's holding on tight and not letting go and the "candy" is all over his face and hands and comes off on everything he touches.  As he helped me prepare breakfast this morning, he asked me if the eggs we were eating were found in the grass on a farm or did they come from a metal tray under thousands of chickens?  I had to look him in the eye and, with tremendous sense of guilt and "Damn, you know better, Sarah," I had to tell him that yes, they actually were from the metal tray and the over crowded, neglected, abused chickens.  Imagine - getting a much deserved lecture from a 5 year old about responsible eating.

 

He asked for chicken nuggets for lunch.  I made them and he mentioned that he wasn't eating real chicken - these didn't have feathers.  Not wanting to back down on a really important lesson in life, I had to explain to him that yes, it was real chicken, that it did start out having feathers and a beak.  As the realization of what he was eating crossed his mind and sunk in, he ate a little slower and eventually asked for a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

 

I am very careful to present both sides of every situation - even when it is about as pleasant as gouging my eyes out to give credit to my opposing viewpoint.  I don't want my children to believe what I believe in just because I believe it.  I want them to make fully informed choices for themselves - even if it is a different choice than I would make for myself.  It matters not to me if my children grow up to be vegetarians, vegans, NRA members, or members of the Sausage of the Month Club.  It's their lives.  I just want them to be educated.

 

Watching Duck comprehend these truths of life reminds me of myself - but when I was 14 years old.  I can see his brain going to those places mine went.  I can see him struggle to find the line (if, indeed, it exists,) between the human animal and other animals.  I can see him think before he acts, before he eats.  Where this will land us, I don't know, but I'm so grateful to have him as a partner on this journey.

 

I've always said that Duck will change the world.  I can see him doing it now.  He's already made a change.  Look in my refrigerator and marvel at the new residents - free range eggs.