It’s been a while, but I made another meat executive cry.

Really, when we interview veteran meat industry professionals, that is not the intent. It’s not like we’re trying to capture some drama for a TV camera to boost ratings. But just asking a passionate person about their life’s work can be a trigger, I’m reminded.

This was a more common occurrence years ago, when our late colleague Michael Fielding began to make the last question of his interviews: “Why do you love what you do?” He discovered that this could cause some waterworks.

More than some sadistic intent, though, it really brought home how visceral this work is to those who have spent a lifetime doing it. Moreover, it brought home why we, as a publication covering the industry, do what we do: feed information that helps those whose calling is feeding people.

As I said, it’s been a good while since I saw a CEO get choked up, and that got me a little choked up, honestly — enough to have to pause and just let the moment have its due. It’s not that people care less these days in the industry; it’s just that I probably hadn’t asked a question in that way for some time. Nonetheless, I assured him that he wasn’t alone in the expression of his emotions, and not to be embarrassed.

It was the photographer along on the visit who’d earlier expressed to me how impressed he was by the executive’s decades of experience in the industry, and how clearly he loves it. And it dawned on me, and I told him, that this isn’t at all uncommon, either. What we’ve learned is that successful, veteran meat industry people don’t usually just fall into the trade, but rather that it’s in their blood. It’s in their hearts.

(By the way, the photographer and the CEO ultimately said goodbye not only with a handshake, but also, having respected each other’s verve so much, a hug.)

Like any job, mine can be, well, a job. There can be times where I feel, let’s say, less than passionate. But more often, I feel lucky to have such a good gig.

As those tears indicate, it’s more than covering an industry; it’s connecting with people who love so very much what they do.

Cry if you want to

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