February 17, 2008

Uncomfortable Work Environment

I'm a promoter on the weekends. I stand in a booth and smile at people and get them to fill out cards to win fabulous prizes (and add their phone numbers to our calling lists). Doing this, I get to see a lot of different trade shows. Travel shows. Home shows. And this weekend... it's a hunting show.

I'm very much anti-hunting. I fail to see how sitting hidden in a tree and using a gun to shoot innocent animals can be considered a sport. And I knew it was going to be a challenge but...

There are dead things in every booth! And my booth is kitty corner to the judging tables, so all these proud killers hunters are bringing in the decapitated heads of deer they've "bagged" and hanging them up to see whose is the best.

More disturbing than the glass eyes of dead deer looking at me all day is the violent culture being taught to innocent children. I hear parents asking their kids if they'll be able to kill that big a deer when they grow up. Kids are walking around with shirts that say lovely things like "If it flies, it dies" and "If it's brown, it's down."

There's a fishing pond set up, filled with fish. Kids buy 5 minutes with a fishing rod to try and catch a fish. And if they do they get to keep the fish. So the good, kindly people throw the suffocating fish into a ziploc bag, without water in it, and hand it to the kid, who laughs as they watch the poor creature struggling to breathe. I've seen several bags where the poor thing has dropped eggs in their terror.

Walking to the bathroom is torture because I have to pass by 2 booths for taxidermists, booths full of stuffed animals and I'm not talking cute, fluffy toys. It's horrible. Today is my last day at this show and I will NEVER work another hunting show again. I can't take it.

5 comments:

Maggie said...

OMG! The horror! I absolutely agree. Here's a cyber hug to help you get through those horrible nightmares. (( ))

KnittyLynn said...

*sigh*
That's horrible and such a way of life for so many people.
ugh
Hang in there. And just remember you'll never have to do that again.

Diane said...

The recently opened a Cabela's in CT. We started to get fliers in the local paper advertising the store. I remember looking at one right around christmas showing a shotgun and ammo on sale and telling my hubby, "nothing says christmas like a new shotgun with case and ammo."

mrspao said...

That is so horrible. You poor thing.

Traceyleezle said...

Sorry, can't help you on this one. I used to hunt, don't do so anymore because I don't have time. My dad was a Master Instructor in NY for the Hunter's Safety Course. Now I can tell you that we hunt because we like the taste of venison, squirrel (well dad does), and rabbit and it really helps out with the grocery bill to have a nice sized buck in the freezer. On the other hand, my dad would flip out at the kind of "lifestyle" that is presented at these types of tradeshows. There are a ton of really frightening rednecks out there who give true outdoor sportsmen a bad name. Very bad, especially the "if its brown its down" mentality. It's sooo unsafe.