Friday, October 17, 2008

'The Ladies'

Tonight I'm taking a break from talking about food, describing dinner and posting pix about what we ate. Instead, I just want to post something that reminds me of *why* I am doing this.

Of why I eat the way I do.
Of why I wear the clothes that I do.
Of why I avoid the products that I do.

And of why I think it's the single most important direction I've taken in my life so far.

This is the reason why:



These are folks I call 'The Ladies'. I drive by them every day on my way to work. Mostly, they pay me no heed as I flash past, late for my required 8am start. But I have noticed that, recently, they have started hanging out nearer to the road, just the other side of the electric fence. This morning, late or not, I could not resist stopping and just looking at them. For once, I actually had my camera with me (the one I nicknamed 'Constance', as it was supposed to be constantly in my bag, but is usually sitting on a shelf at home whenever something interesting happens...) so I took some pix to share with you.

I have watched the babies starting to grow, every day they're just that little bit cuter, bolder, and more confident. And the mothers, aunts, grandmothers - who knows what relationship, if any, the others are in the herd? - watch them calmly, quietly, gently.



And so, every day, as I drive by, I call out of the window 'Good Morning, Ladies!' because it *is* a good morning when I see them. A smile starts to play at the crinkly corners of my eyes and pulls the edges of my mouth northwards. I feel silly shouting a greeting - ostensibly to myself in the car - but I feel a connection with them.

I love them.

Especially this one.



You see: the fleeting and transitory satisfaction of our acquired taste for flesh could never be as sustaining as the simple act of meeting these beings face to face. Of looking into their endlessly deep brown eyes and recognising a soul looking back at you. From beneath long, luscious, creamy eyelashes.

Isn't that the craziest way to finish off the week?

Oh, there's that smile again....

Stay Vegan, Friends!
:-D

1 comment:

Jen Treehugger said...

Oh I LOVE this post. You bought a tear to my eye. A tear of happiness mostly - but also touched with a bit of sadness.
(((HUGS)))