Before I came to Colombia, a writer in Ontario once told me I should see a bullfight if they still happen here (they don't).
He'd seen one in Spain, & went on about how moving & spiritual it was, the blood coming thick and ropey, & how it deepened his appreciation for Christ.
I couldn't hide my disgust, which hurt his feelings. To him there was beauty in the slaughter. I would never pay to watch an animal die.
But memories like this make it seem a wonder we have any peace in this life at all.
@MLClark I saw a bullfight years ago in Mexico. I don't know what I expected, maybe I thought it would be like a Bugs Bunny cartoon where the guy and the bull chase each other around for a bit, but nobody really gets hurt. I was horrified to see what it was really like - and pretty pissed off at my friend who took me there.
Oof. Invitation to a trauma for sure.
I'm sorry you weren't forewarned.
And I'm sorry we live in cultures that have normalized real-world violence to such an extent that people get upset when others don't want participate in similar. 🫂
@MLClark I honestly couldn't believe it was real. Even when they came out and stuck the bull, I was like, "That can't be real blood" like it was just a show for the tourists. It wasn't until the bull started staggering around that it sunk in that this was for real - I was just sick.