I would like to ask that girl whether she knows what the word "vegetarian" means or whether she simply thinks it is a bad word with which her school friends distinguished her from themselves.
I was on the tram when five girls around 7 or 8 years old came in and stand in the middle of the wagon, where everyone could see and hear them. For a while they talked about school, then one of them suddenly indicated a butcher shop we were passing by. "That is the best one in town, my mum says". Another girl said "Yes, my mum says so too". And a third girl added "Mine as well". The fourth girl joined "My mum too". And the fifth girl echoed "My mum too". But then the other four girls turned to her and two of them said at the same time:
"No, yours not".
Silence.
"Why mine not?"
"Because your parents are vegetarian".
"So what?".
"They don't go to butchers".
Silence.
I would like to ask whether the girl checked on a vocabulary the meaning of the word "vegetarian", or asked her parents about it. Maybe she just felt so isolated and different from her friends, that she wanted to find out why and what the difference consists in. Or, she felt so angry and sad in being different, that she begun thinking on how to find elements of diversity to accuse the other girls with, and revenge. I hope she learned how knowledge could be a better weapon than anger or violence.
It is very interesting to see how cruel kids are among each other on the tram. They just do not care about what the other kids might think, want, wish, and every kid tries to get himself in the center of attention, where the others recognize his superiority. The position of the seat, or the attention to the one who is talking, clearly indicates a strict hierarchy, I suppose based at least in part on the personality of the kids themselves. And, whoever is in the strongest position, normally pays a lot of attention not to lose the conquered seat, or showing how powerful he is. The socially weakest kid sits in the corner, quite and without saying a work.
In these little groups of kids, it is apparently very important to get the consensus from the others. So, you are not allowed to be too different. You have to speak in the same way, and repeat the sentences of the superior one. I thought this is actually quite shocking for 6 or 7 years old kids without their parents observing them on the tram.
Who knows, whether the girl will found out what it means to be vegetarian.
I was on the tram when five girls around 7 or 8 years old came in and stand in the middle of the wagon, where everyone could see and hear them. For a while they talked about school, then one of them suddenly indicated a butcher shop we were passing by. "That is the best one in town, my mum says". Another girl said "Yes, my mum says so too". And a third girl added "Mine as well". The fourth girl joined "My mum too". And the fifth girl echoed "My mum too". But then the other four girls turned to her and two of them said at the same time:
"No, yours not".
Silence.
"Why mine not?"
"Because your parents are vegetarian".
"So what?".
"They don't go to butchers".
Silence.
I would like to ask whether the girl checked on a vocabulary the meaning of the word "vegetarian", or asked her parents about it. Maybe she just felt so isolated and different from her friends, that she wanted to find out why and what the difference consists in. Or, she felt so angry and sad in being different, that she begun thinking on how to find elements of diversity to accuse the other girls with, and revenge. I hope she learned how knowledge could be a better weapon than anger or violence.
It is very interesting to see how cruel kids are among each other on the tram. They just do not care about what the other kids might think, want, wish, and every kid tries to get himself in the center of attention, where the others recognize his superiority. The position of the seat, or the attention to the one who is talking, clearly indicates a strict hierarchy, I suppose based at least in part on the personality of the kids themselves. And, whoever is in the strongest position, normally pays a lot of attention not to lose the conquered seat, or showing how powerful he is. The socially weakest kid sits in the corner, quite and without saying a work.
In these little groups of kids, it is apparently very important to get the consensus from the others. So, you are not allowed to be too different. You have to speak in the same way, and repeat the sentences of the superior one. I thought this is actually quite shocking for 6 or 7 years old kids without their parents observing them on the tram.
Who knows, whether the girl will found out what it means to be vegetarian.
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