The actual walk from the car to the Cow Palace was a lonely one. While I couldn't actually see much of anything through my cow "helmet", it definitely felt like all the eyes in the world were glaring at me. I guess that's the point of wearing a costume like this to an event like that, but I couldn't dislodge the distinct feeling that I may end up hog-tied in the back of one of those god-awful jacked up turbo-diesel pick-em-up trucks that I had watched trying to wedge themselves into parking spots intended for less cartoonish vehicles.
Making my way through the parking lot, trying to avoid on-coming traffic and everything else that I couldn't presently see, I hoped that Kim or Deborah would be there already. You see, I had kind of invited myself to this after seeing a link for it on Kim's Facebook page and I was a little nervous about "crashing the party" if it was all strangers. While I have been doing my thing with Farm Sanctuary for the last year and "getting my name out there", per se, this would be one of my first forays outside of that where I am a "nobody". While a "friend of the family" in a cow suit would surely be welcome, a complete stranger in a cow suit may be another thing altogether.
While there may have been some suspicious eyes cast my way, once Kim arrived I felt less out of place. The cow costume was popular with some of the younger crowd who arrived early. I let people take about a half-dozen pictures with me. At first I wasn't sure about this since they still seemed intent on attending the rodeo, but I decided to do it because it may end up on their Facebook page which means that my sign would be there too. Maybe it would have a chance to reach someone more receptive to the message.
As the night progressed, I am not sure how much of our message connected and how much was deflected by the "shame defenses" that were popping up all over the crowd like moles at a "Whack-a-Mole" game (Perhaps not the best Vegan analog). I could probably rattle off some amusing cheap shots at the expense of the folks in attending, but after some consideration, I don't think it would be appropriate here. Unfortunately, I don't think anyone changed their evening plans based on our protest, but I can certainly hope that it set a new paradigm or context for the first-time viewers and maybe even for some of the old-timers. I believe that for many people, the animal cruelty may be something that had just never occurred to them before. Maybe the rodeo brings back cherished memories of their first one with their dad, or maybe they think this allows them to have a connection with the animals, or maybe they just haven't really thought about it at all.
Since I will probably never know, I will choose to take solace in the belief that at least one person left the rodeo last night feeling a bit uncomfortable. If we were particularly lucky, that one person had at least one kid and they will not be coming back next year. Maybe this will be the catalyst for them to reflect on what they want their child's relationships with animals to be and who they want to see when they look in the mirror.
As a second year Vegan (And fifth year vegetarian), I know first-hand the power associated with that epiphany and how transformative these moments can be to the person, their social circle, and to a degree the world. I suspect that the catalyst for my own transformation never realized the power of her simple act (I did share this with her later) and I believe that it is through these simple acts that we be the champions that these animals need. I really appreciate the opportunity that the organizers provided for this "cow" to speak out for those who cannot.
