In the weeks and months leading up to my decision to give up meat, I kept having these episodes that were turning me off meat. One day I was eating a piece of thinly sliced deli ham when I suddenly had a vision of it being some kind of flesh that had literally been ripped from an animal. I don't know where that thought came from or why it entered my head at that moment, but all I knew was that I had to get that stuff out of my mouth before I vomited all over my kitchen. After that particular moment of revulsion, I started thinking about a few other times that this similar thought had come into my head. Where it had come from, I'm just not sure, but it was a very real and disgusted feeling at the thought of having meat from an animal in my mouth.
I was also realizing the smells and textures of meats were bothering me. E-Roc would bring home these delectable sandwiches and wraps from the deli, and I suddenly couldn't bear the smell of pork or salami. Or I would pretty much have to disassemble the sandwich and start again with the vegs and condiments only. What was happening to me?
I have never been one that had criticism for vegetarians or non-vegetarians. I felt that the herbivores must have had their reasons, either social or personal, and that was their prerogative. I also felt that carnivores had a good point too. Man has had dominion over animals all through evolutionary history and besides, he was born with those fantastically sharp incisors! He is supposed to eat meat!
But aside from the whole near-vomit episodes, I had really began thinking about my eating lifestyle. I considered the fact that while I do cook, I don't cook a lot of dishes that contain meat. For instance, I have many favorite pasta dishes that I like to make and none of them contain meat. I could do my weekly grocery shopping and the only meat I might come home with is lunch meat for sandwiches. Do I really need meat if I don't even buy it and cook it on a regular basis?
My coworker, Jenni, laughed at me because I don't know how to cook a whole turkey or chicken. How would I? I've never tried! And really at this point, why would I? I also don't own any sort of contraption that would allow deep-frying in my home. Again, why would I go through the trouble and mess of such a thing? I guess I just have always figured that if I wanted certain foods, like turkey and dressing (never made that either) or deep-fried okra (which Cracker Barrel is very good at) that I could just have it when I went out or was invited to someone's house for a meal.
Does that make me bad?
This took me back to the question I hinted at in Part I, do I really like certain foods or do I just think I'm supposed to like them? I don't really like turkey that much.....I couldn't tell you the last time I had any on a sandwich or with a side of dressing and gravy. How hard is it to give up something you never have? Every now and then I get a wild hair for some deep-fried fish which is so popular in my part of the country, but I bet you I don't eat that stuff more than 2 times a year. Again, how much will I really miss that?
I also keep thinking about how much I make time and energy I wrap up into food as a social activity more than just nourishment or vice versa. For instance, sometimes I think I'd like to go out to dinner with my man.....just for a fun night out of the house.....and then I find myself wrapping the whole evening up into where we will go and what I will choose to eat. Shouldn't I be eating to live and not the other way around? And on the flip side, when did it become a requirement that food should be tied to all bits of fun and entertainment? It's like I can't watch a movie without popcorn and sit on the deck without a drink. Should it really be that way?
With all of this swirling through my head, I keep thinking more and more that my decision for vegetarianism is right in so many more ways than I first realized. It's making me think about food and my relationship with it in an entirely different way. And maybe that's just what I needed. I've never wanted to be one of those people that wraps my whole life up into my diet, but maybe this will keep me from doing just that.
Maybe eating should just be eating and that's that.
I was also realizing the smells and textures of meats were bothering me. E-Roc would bring home these delectable sandwiches and wraps from the deli, and I suddenly couldn't bear the smell of pork or salami. Or I would pretty much have to disassemble the sandwich and start again with the vegs and condiments only. What was happening to me?
I have never been one that had criticism for vegetarians or non-vegetarians. I felt that the herbivores must have had their reasons, either social or personal, and that was their prerogative. I also felt that carnivores had a good point too. Man has had dominion over animals all through evolutionary history and besides, he was born with those fantastically sharp incisors! He is supposed to eat meat!
But aside from the whole near-vomit episodes, I had really began thinking about my eating lifestyle. I considered the fact that while I do cook, I don't cook a lot of dishes that contain meat. For instance, I have many favorite pasta dishes that I like to make and none of them contain meat. I could do my weekly grocery shopping and the only meat I might come home with is lunch meat for sandwiches. Do I really need meat if I don't even buy it and cook it on a regular basis?
My coworker, Jenni, laughed at me because I don't know how to cook a whole turkey or chicken. How would I? I've never tried! And really at this point, why would I? I also don't own any sort of contraption that would allow deep-frying in my home. Again, why would I go through the trouble and mess of such a thing? I guess I just have always figured that if I wanted certain foods, like turkey and dressing (never made that either) or deep-fried okra (which Cracker Barrel is very good at) that I could just have it when I went out or was invited to someone's house for a meal.
Does that make me bad?
This took me back to the question I hinted at in Part I, do I really like certain foods or do I just think I'm supposed to like them? I don't really like turkey that much.....I couldn't tell you the last time I had any on a sandwich or with a side of dressing and gravy. How hard is it to give up something you never have? Every now and then I get a wild hair for some deep-fried fish which is so popular in my part of the country, but I bet you I don't eat that stuff more than 2 times a year. Again, how much will I really miss that?
I also keep thinking about how much I make time and energy I wrap up into food as a social activity more than just nourishment or vice versa. For instance, sometimes I think I'd like to go out to dinner with my man.....just for a fun night out of the house.....and then I find myself wrapping the whole evening up into where we will go and what I will choose to eat. Shouldn't I be eating to live and not the other way around? And on the flip side, when did it become a requirement that food should be tied to all bits of fun and entertainment? It's like I can't watch a movie without popcorn and sit on the deck without a drink. Should it really be that way?
With all of this swirling through my head, I keep thinking more and more that my decision for vegetarianism is right in so many more ways than I first realized. It's making me think about food and my relationship with it in an entirely different way. And maybe that's just what I needed. I've never wanted to be one of those people that wraps my whole life up into my diet, but maybe this will keep me from doing just that.
Maybe eating should just be eating and that's that.