Just realized I no longer bone out chickens by hand

I used to bone out every chicken by hand, feeling each joint and learning the anatomy. My mentor said it made you a better butcher, knowing the animal inside and out. Lately, with the shop getting busier, I've been using the electric saw for most of it. It cuts the work down to half the time, which helps on hectic days. But I miss the quiet rhythm of the knife and the pride in a clean cut. Customers still buy the meat, and they say it tastes fine, so no complaints there. Still, part of me feels like I'm letting go of a craft that took years to learn. Maybe I'll set aside a few birds each week to do the old way, just to remember.

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3 Comments

pat427mo ago

Keep one foot in the old ways.

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bailey.sam6mo ago

Used to think that stuff was just pointless nostalgia. Then I tried to fix my own sink with a YouTube video instead of calling a plumber. Spent four hours and flooded the kitchen floor. Felt that deep, stupid link to every person who ever messed up a simple task before me. Now I get it, keeping a foot in the old ways is about staying humble, not just being skilled. It connects you to the sheer human struggle of it all.

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wade7677mo ago

My grandpa tried to teach me to whittle when I was twelve. I still have the scar on my thumb from where I slipped and cut myself. So one of my feet is firmly planted in the old ways of being bad at traditional skills.

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