The Meat Market January 28, 2016

I always called the Utah State library the meat market. But today I learned what a real meat market is and it didn't end well. We were visiting the ILP or individual loan clients and I could smell the market before I even knew we were going there. I had been there before but only walked through the meat section. It was a hot day and the smell is overwhelming. I had done it before though so I quickly followed the rest in. We met one of our clients Nanay Merrily. Who you guessed it, is a meat vendor. We began to ask her questions. Right in front of her were pig feet and I couldn't help staring at them. You could see the dirt in the hooves and the hair on the skin. I thought, just look at her. So I looked at her, behind her head was a row of pig heads hanging. I though okay just turn around, thinking there was an empty stand behind us, I turned and there was a whole pig being maneuvered every which was and sliced right down the middle. I thought just look at your feet. By this time I sweating profusely and the nausea I usually feel at the market was only worsening. As I looked down I saw blood flowing through the gate underneath us. Quickly I looked up. I tried looking at her again but just not behind her head. Then I noticed her fingernails, caked with blood. She kept touching her face and mouth. I told Mam Baby I didn't feel well but it was loud and she didn't understand me. By now the room was spinning and things were spotty. The only thing that kept me from not passing out was I knew if I passed out my body was going to touch that floor and there was no way I was letting that happen. Finally we said our goodbyes and I quickly made my way to the edge of the meat section... Little did I know we had another meat vendor to visit. I thought I could make it but I was so hot and put my hands on my knees and head down for a minute. Brad saw me and said he would walk outside with me. We walked outside the market for a minute and I got some fresh (that's relative) air. We went back in and visited a few clients upstairs in the toys and clothes sections. Needless to say I stuck with my Almond Kind bar and not the chicken and pork place everybody else went to for lunch. While Nanay (meaning Nanay Eden) was making dinner I told her this story and she had a good little chuckle. She said my family would love that story. She saw the picture I hung up of you guys on my wall and she loved it. Miss and love you guys. Sorry I didn't take any pictures at the market but hopefully I painted a pretty good picture. Oh and meanwhile as I was feeling worse than I did my junior year at the cadaver lab there was a steady ring of comments from the men meat vendors directed my way. What pigs. Get it? 

Rachel's commentary: Ironically before I went to bed last night I sent Ems a little text about keeping your chin up and making the most of each day, you know just like mom's do. As I was typing it I felt a little like Charlotte in Charlotte's web and told her I had no idea why that little visual, a spider talking to a pig, had popped into my brain. I hadn't thought about Charlotte's Web in years! I had a good laugh to myself about it as I drifted off to sleep..and then woke up to this! The same time I was visualizing Charlotte and Wilbur, a cute little talking pig, Emily was dealing with real pigs, in every variety!