Saturday, March 8, 2014

Small Town Charm And Chicken Feet

For the past several months I have been in what I will call "Small Town USA",  working on some family  owned rental houses.  The town is much smaller than the one that I live in and I have noticed a few "quaint" differences.

There is small town charm here in the form of  smiles and waves from strangers.  The people all seem to know and look out for each other.  I know this because I have actually walked into a store and before I even utter a word, have the clerk say "Where are you from?".

I have also noticed that there are some "cultural" differences.  The other day I was in the local grocery store and came upon one such difference as I perused the meat counter.  I was strolling along and there it was.
Nestled right among the chicken...I saw it.....there was a moment of processing......I glanced again...it registered... and then ...Total internal freak out,  accompanied by an extreme case of nausea!!

There were Chicken feet packed and labeled to be sold...literal chicken feet...cut off , claws included and all splayed out ...I wanted to run, but suddenly I realized I needed to document this or no one would ever believe me.    I reached into my purse and grabbed my iPhone.  My proof was going to be in the form of photographic evidence.  I took a quick snapshot and fled the store.

I left for two reasons.   The first one was that I had a huge fear that if I stayed  the nausea would progress into a more physical reaction...and two because I needed to sit down and try to ascertain the purpose behind what I had just seen..

Moments later I was sitting in my car thinking what in the world would anyone in their right mind do with those things?  Surely to God no one ingests them. This was followed by a random thought.... Lord if they cut off the feet of chickens back behind that meat counter what else goes on???

This thought only served to increase my nausea and so I redirected my thinking back to trying to discover the purpose behind them being there. After already deciding that there couldn't possibly be a human being that would attempt their consumption, it suddenly came to me.

There must be people in this town that think they are witches or warlocks...They use them for spell casting..you know like fire up your cauldron...add garlic cloves, eye of newt, and Chicken feet...stir and cackle...

I had the entire scene playing in my mind, incantation included...After calming down and giving this more thought than it probably deserved,,,Quite frankly past spell casting, I've got nothing...

I think I just may have to go back into that store and ask to speak to the manager.  I mean someone has to ask this man what makes him believe for one second that it is acceptable to package these horrific looking things and allow them to reside in the meat counter along side the other meats being sold. I, for one, need some clarification.

Yes...that's what I need to do...I'll just march right on up to the customer service counter and go all Ding Ding Ding on the little bell there. I will begin by asking him if he's lost his mind.  When that renders him speechless, and I'm sure it will, I'll just let him know that I'm pretty sure there is some form of a health law that prohibits the cohabitation of food fit for consumption and this whole animal feet thing that he's got going back in the meat department.

The chance that he will insist that he has the legal right to continue to sell them isn't lost on me and so I have a solution for that too.  I'm going to strongly suggest that he have some human decency and place a sign on the meat counter stating that anyone desiring animal parts, not fit for consumption should speak with him, as they are available upon request...

Don't get me wrong.  I can certainly appreciate many of the small town attributes, but Seriously people...Chicken feet???  There must be a law....



 
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