To be honest, I haven’t had many life altering experiences. I went to South Africa two years ago for a mission’s trip, but that’s about it. The mission’s trip was really my only life changing experience, nothing here in America could compare to the pictures I took in Africa. So for my story, I will be talking about a pig, my dad's pig to be exact. He is a black, four-hundred pound pot belly pig and his name is Kernel, like the burnt popcorn shell. This pig’s personality could ever be so dull, he sits in the back corner of our property and gets up maybe once a day to get some schmack.

   The funny thing about this pig is, we bought him five years ago for my Dad’s birthday. For some reason he wanted a farm animal, even though we don’t live on a farm at all. He found this baby pig on ebay right when he was just born. I thought it was going to be a cute teacup pig that was to run around my house with a little diaper… but that was not the case. My dad always knew he was a pot belly pig that was going to grow up to be four-hundred pounds... just in a matter of months! It was the craziest and fastest transition I have ever seen in an animal. So back to the pig, he sleeps, eats and rolls in the mud, that’s it. He doesn’t like anyone but my Dad, I can’t even get close to him unless im giving him corn or he screeches from the top of his lungs so the whole neighborhood can hear. And if you touch him, especially if hes asleep, your done for. I’ve honestly never even seen this pig move, but once or twice. I may have fed it once, but it’s probably best my dad continues to do that.

   Though the pig is a part of my family's life, it’s a part of my life I don’t think about very often, even though it is on my property everyday and night. Another funny thing like I said, we don’t live on a farm, we live in a modern area with condos surrounding every side of our house except in the front. So there are only a few houses in our neighborhood with property. Property, meaning at least an acre or two. So it’s funny to think… What do the neighbors think of the pig? Have they seen the pig? Will someone call animal control? Personally, I don’t like the pig, I wish we didn’t get it. I would give it away in a heartbeat, because either he’s too frightened by humans all the time or he’s just grouchy. Just like my Dad wants to get rid of our puppy, because our puppy doesn’t listen to anything he says.

   Well I say let's get rid of the pig! It does nothing, like at least the dog does something. Though, realistically we can’t just get rid of our pets because they aren't perfect, we as humans have more flaws than all animals combined. So, we keep the puppy because it makes me happy and we keep the pig because it makes my dad happy and that’s all that matters. We also used to have goats, but they passed away from cancer. So did our brown lab Gap, he meant the world to me, he was my childhood dog. Now, we have a new rescue dog named Ash, along with my cat Gracy and the big fat pig, Kernel. As i'm writing this story, I can actually see the pig laying down bathing under the hot sun. Shocking! The pig loves the sun, I can’t believe how many hours he will just lay there and not get up to get any water. Also, how does the pig not sunburn? like what. Pigs are very confusing, and honestly really ugly as they get older. But just like humans, we all grow then decay. All of it is a part of life, and every single thing, pet or person, has its own place and meaning in life, just like my dad's pig.