Where Do They Go?

Last night I watched a wonderful movie about the life of Temple Grandin, starring Claire Danes. Temple Grandin was a high functioning autistic women who went through university and received a Doctorate in Animal Science. She is a visual thinker -- she thinks in pictures -- and is able to recall every detail of anything she sees. She can play it backwards and forwards like a movie, and she says that the spoken word is her second language.

Temple Grandin has an innate affinity for animals, she is able to feel the animals' emotions, and she can identify with the anxiety animals feel when they are being led to slaughter. Because of this, she has designed humane livestock handling processes and has given advice on how to improve standards in slaughter plants and lifestock farms. She has also received awards from PETA.

I think using animals for food is an ethical thing to do, but we've got to do it right. We've got to give those animals a decent life and we've got to give them a painless death. We owe the animal respect. ... Temple Grandin

Last night in the movie she asked a question that resonated with me. When one of her favorite horses, "Chestnut", died and later when her favorite college teacher died she asked, "Where do they go?" It was a compelling question, asked simply. Human beings have pondered that question for millennia. Indeed, where do they go? Every religion and every philosophy has a theory. I have not been able to reach a conclusion to that question myself. I would be interested to know what you think. "Where do they go?"