Hunting Is Honest, But Hard

I'm caught up in paradoxes this morning. 

How do you balance everything that's important in your life?  How do you let your children go and hold them close at the same time ~ today is their first day of first grade.  How do you regulate your representation yet not shut yourself down. With regard to this last, I really am as honest and transparent as I can be.

I'm very proud of my husband ~ for a whole bunch of reasons, of course! ~ but right now because this weekend he got a deer with his bow.  We both used to hunt with rifles, but he loves being out there so much he's transitioned into bow hunting.  The season is earlier and there are a few less hung over good ol' boys out there swinging a deadly weapon around. 

You may not know this, but hunting is flippin' hard.  It takes years of building up your skills to be a decent hunter, and bow hunting is even harder.  You have to stalk the animal and get even closer when you bow hunt.

I think a lot of the world might consider hunting the purview of hicks and third-world countries.  But to me ~ and to my husband of course ~ it feels more honest, you know?  A lot of people are blissfully unaware of where their food comes from.  They think of meat and vegetables as originating in factories like electronics.  They don't think about someone having to kill an animal for that hamburger they have at McDonalds. 

Have you ever stood there while an animal you killed is dying?  It's quite an experience, and it's really hard to do.  It makes you value your food so much more.

So I guess I'm thinking about owning up to truths (things die so that you can live AND there are parts of you and your life that others might find offensive).