Magpie
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Oct 27, 2007
I think it's very easy to underestimate how different people's life experiences can be, especially on this board which skews older and somewhat more affluent.
I grew up in New Jersey, where yes, I did see a lot of cows from the window of our car, whenever my mum drove us to visit friends at the Jersey Shore. But, in the part of Trenton where we lived, if my mother hadn't had a car or reasons to drive out of town, chances are good I'd never have seen a cow, except in books.
After all, it wasn't as if the prostitutes on the street corner raised cattle in their spare time!
I think in any larger city, it would be fairly easy to get to age 25 without having seen a cow in the flesh. Especially if your folks don't have a car, which is something that's more common in the UK, than the US. However, don't forget - there were significant numbers of people who couldn't evacuate during Hurricane Katrina, because they didn't have personal vehicles! When were they, or their kids, going to drive out of town to see a cow?
Nothing wrong with that, either. Whether or not a kid sees a real live cow, obviously won't be the make or break point in their upbringing.
For the record, I never yelled, "Moo" from the window of the car at a cow. Nor did my kids. We did, however, learn to spot Jersey cows (Jersey pride, you know) . Also, having the good fortune to live near a farm museum, my kids got to see many cows and other livestock up close. They even had their favourites, that they'd look for each time we visited.
I grew up in New Jersey, where yes, I did see a lot of cows from the window of our car, whenever my mum drove us to visit friends at the Jersey Shore. But, in the part of Trenton where we lived, if my mother hadn't had a car or reasons to drive out of town, chances are good I'd never have seen a cow, except in books.
After all, it wasn't as if the prostitutes on the street corner raised cattle in their spare time!
I think in any larger city, it would be fairly easy to get to age 25 without having seen a cow in the flesh. Especially if your folks don't have a car, which is something that's more common in the UK, than the US. However, don't forget - there were significant numbers of people who couldn't evacuate during Hurricane Katrina, because they didn't have personal vehicles! When were they, or their kids, going to drive out of town to see a cow?
Nothing wrong with that, either. Whether or not a kid sees a real live cow, obviously won't be the make or break point in their upbringing.
For the record, I never yelled, "Moo" from the window of the car at a cow. Nor did my kids. We did, however, learn to spot Jersey cows (Jersey pride, you know) . Also, having the good fortune to live near a farm museum, my kids got to see many cows and other livestock up close. They even had their favourites, that they'd look for each time we visited.