I'm forever talking to the beings we've decided to turn into property, be it for a meal or for domestic work/companionship. The wild ones tend to be a bit more magical, though, as they are the ones who show up because of simple natural instincts, not because they were forced to be in my space. I talk to them everywhere I go, even the human variety. I'm also forever apologizing to those unfortunate enough to become livestock on behalf of the human race. The folks that consider me to be "out there" because of that are even more entertaining to talk to, some days. I often speak to and for the animals who can't speak for themselves and who are simply seen as objects/profit margins/menu items rather than sentient living and feeling beings, much more often than not.
I had to drastically change my lifestyle/consumption habits for emergent health reasons and eliminated all animal products (among many other toxic-to-me things), and quickly learned how easily we cast aside and ignore the violent plight of those animals when our bellies growl, without a second thought. After learning (and living it for several years, thus far) that we don't actually need to ingest their flesh and bodily secretions to be fully and healthily nourished, no matter what the marketing tactics and so called education we received have hammered into our brains for life, helped me see my menu choices were much more of a taste bud addiction than actual nourishment.
We also tend to totally overlook the energetic exchanges we engage in while happily munching on the "more affordable" factory-farmed beings who live and die through hellish conditions. The "product" isn't the only thing we digest, by any means. They clearly communicate with us, too, via various symptoms we experience before, during, and after trying to digest and eliminate them. It especially kills me to see animal rescues and proclaimed animal lovers announcing their huge love of animals and asking others to help fund them saving as many as they can while in the same breath having fund raising events where they're selling the flesh and body secretions of other dead animals (definitely the factory-farmed variety due to cost of supplies and such). My heart can't go there now that I've seen all I've seen and lived what I've lived, both on/from big ag farms as well as small, locally owned, and supposedly "humane" operations. But I'm more often viewed as being an ignorant and uncomfortable problem rather than a deeply caring individual. lol Go figure.
I never paid attention to any of that stuff before because I had no pressing need to do so (based solely on what I'd been taught), and had become comfortable in assuming all those symptoms I had were attributed to other things happening within my body, until my health drastically took a turn for the worse and I was facing organ removal. I also used to be strongly convinced it was just natural to kill other beings for our nutritional needs, and had been taught they were clearly put here for us to use as we see fit, being that we are the supposedly more intelligent species and such. Then I started paying closer attention to the path each and every thing took to get to my plate and it's down right sickening and brutal, and was very much a huge part of my overall being since I actively chose to make it my preferred sustenance at least three times a day. Hopefully more communication of a loving-kindness variety can take place between all species that can allow more gentle nurturing of each, rather than the current heart-wrenching methods taking place. The animals also have a lot to say, in my opinion, and I've definitely experienced great benefits (as well as great grief) from becoming a better listener.
