The Chicken Conundrum

So, Justin and I are sitting in a Starbucks mid-afternoon a couple of days ago, talking about how much we both dread going back to work in the morning. Somehow, this conversation morphs into one about chickens (I think Justin made the suggestion that everyone should be given a 3 year break, after which I pointed out we'd all starve to death...then we got on the subject of farmers...growing our own food...slaughtering our own food...cows...pigs....chickens. Don't ask! :D) and, yup, we're up and running in a completely inane conversation about something that doesn't matter in the slightest.

Before I go on, you should know that Justin and I like to do this sort of thing. Somehow, our conversations drift from topic to topic and, a lot of the time, we'll argue something as an academic exercise and not because we actually believe in whatever we're arguing about.

In this case, Justin was convinced that he would be able to kill his own chickens, whilst I was adamant I couldn't. When Justin asked me why, we got into a discussion about humanity, what the definition of humanity extends to, population growth (for chickens), sustainability, the value we place on animal vs human life, lab testing, researchers' motives...we even got into a philosophical discussion about whether unborn chickens are better off for never having been bred to be killed, or if it's better for them to experience the gift of life before being slaughtered.

Anyway, the point is that I'm really glad I know someone I can have this type of conversation with :). And having this conversation made me realize how much I miss exercising my brain! Even though I was never completely happy in university, I'm finding I miss it more and more. The freedom to sit around in a lecture hall deconstructing literature and poetry with some of the brightest people you'll ever meet seems like heaven now.

The funny thing was that we were in a Starbucks right outside Westminster Cathedral just after school had broken up. This meant, inevitably, that kids, teachers, and parents from the Choir school were coming in and out. Justin and I were sitting at a table next to the little station where all the milk/napkins/stir sticks, etc. are located and, as we debated whether zoos were cruel for creating a dependency on humans for animals (don't even ask what part of our conversation that linked to - I honestly don't remember how we arrived at that particular topic!), I noticed a man who looked like a teacher from the school standing at the drinks station, pretending not to listen as he slowly gathered his things together. As I proclaimed that putting signs in national parks asking people not to feed animals in order to preserve their wildness and prevent a dependency on humans was directly opposing the ethos of zoos, I saw the man give himself a small smile of amusement. He glanced up and, seeing me looking at him, gave me a wink, nodded his head (I'm convinced it was in agreement! :D), and headed on his way.

I'm glad I'm such a source of amusement! haha. I wish he had been the headmaster though and, instead of just agreeing with me, had stopped and offered me a job for being strange enough to voluntarily debate such a bizarre topic for fun!

*sigh* Ah well! Maybe some day... :)