I grew up with chooks. We would name them and have our favourites, spending hours playing with them.
PICTURE: Elly Kellner/www.freeimages.com
I remember once, sitting on the back step holding my chicken as we contemplated life together.
Suddenly my hen relaxed. She turned her head and looked me in the eye. Wow, this was it, a moment of transcendent connection between friends of different species?
I was amazed, never before had a chook looked me in the eye seemingly aware – ouch! The dang thing pecked me in the eye!
Any thought of divine connection was dashed then and there. What I understood as conscious connection was curiosity; my eyeball looked pretty tasty! It was a chook. A nice pet, but that’s all.
Are our moments with animals really mystical experiences, or are we just ascribing characteristics to our animals as a result of our own desires?
Paul Clark’s musings can be heard on radio across Australia and at atthetop.org.au.
