Thanks-Giving

The best thing about moving to Canada, and particularly studying in the Engineering Dept. of the University of Calgary, is that it gave me the opportunity to get to know wonderful people from all around the world; people I'd be unlikely to meet otherwise.  I grew to know and care for individuals from China, Taiwan, South Korea, Egypt, Jordan, Palestine, Iran, Turkey, Germany, and of course, Canada.   I quickly realized that some of my perceptions of other nations, based on the media or stories, were largely false, and that we are all basically alike as human beings. This Thanks Giving I wish that everyone would have this opportunity to know others that are "different" from them, as I am sure that this would be the road to peace.  I wish for a peaceful, non-violent world, where no one would dream of dropping a bomb on people from another country, because their friends live there!  I wish for a time when we will no longer make excuses for killing people, or any sentient beings.  We can all contribute to peace today as peace starts within ourselves, at home and the food we consume.  I ask you to spare a thought for the "meat" on your table.  It's hard to imagine that "it", was once a boy or a girl who was killed, then dismembered, and transformed completely.  This animal-being may not seem very important in the scheme of our lives, and human trials and tribulations, but he or she, like us, had only one chance to experience life, to exist. and would have wanted to live and be free.  We are not so different.