Ahm comin up on two years of a relatively meat-free existence, which is crazy in it of itself. It’s been a whole stinkin TWO YEARS since ah tried nawt eatin meat (n by meat, ahm nawt includin seafood. Ah still will eat tha hell outta some seafood about once er twice a month, as long as ahm on a coast). Tha big surprise is hearin me say it…b/c ah feel like it was just a short time ago that ah would answer “ah’ve only been daein this fer about 2 er 3 months.” But yes, it was March of ’06 when ah experimented w. tha veggie side of thangs n then found that ah was in much bettah health and spirits.
A big part of my nawt-eatin-tha-dead-thangs is that most of tha meat in this country is crap, shot up w. smack n hormones, living in its own filth, n being fed food that only mildly resembles thar natural diet. On tha East Coast, it is a million times easier to say “I don’t eat meat,” then to ask “How was this animal’s life up to being on my plate fer consumption?” Now that ah live in tha SF area, thars an abundance of information and awareness around tha critters we enjoy ta devour. Almost enuff information n awareness ta make my previous claim that it wasn’t about morality or ethics, it was purely a health-conscious decision, nae longah valid. Furthermore, ah often found myself saying that our species was supposed to eat animals, n that they tasted delicious. So why is it now that ahm surrounded by more free range, organically-fed, milk-bathed goats then ah knew existed, thars really nawt even tha slightest desire ta gae back? Hell, ah had a breakfast bagel that came w. bacon (tha guy didn’t hear me ask for him to leave it off), n ah didn’t even eat tha bacon. N Bacon is tha “gateway meat,” according to some drunk dude at a potluck on Friday.
Chicken still smells phenomenal ta me, n tha concept of a tasty burger is quite appealing. However, ah feel like thars a lack of interest in “gaein back” to tha carnivorous side of thangs. Almost, a reluctance, ta put my tail between my legs n start consuming delicious delicious animals. Dae ah like havin self-imposed dietary restrictions? Dae ah like havin a conversation piece fer me ta have opinions about? As a foodie, is this a level of snobbery ah actually enjoy?
In part, ah think yes. Ah think that ah’ve been gaein ta great lengths ta nawt consume animals fer long enuff that its now an identity ah hold, fer whatevah reasons. N as my initial reasons fer cutting meat out of my diet begin to diminish, tha concept that being a pesce-vegetarian is a PART of me is becoming very real. So what would it be like if suddenly, ah didn’t care quite so much? If ah started putting healthy delicious animals back intae my body? Ahm almost afraid ta find out, but suddenly very interested.
Maybe ahd put on weight. Which many could argue wouldn’t be a bad thang. N if ah started weight-liftin, maybe ah could turn animal protein intae bulging biceps n intimidating pecs. Unfortunetly, thars nae room fer that in my current regime of stretching and sweating and biking everywhar (two thangs that will NEVAH give me tha body-type that ah would like).
So maybe, its about time fer an experiment, similar to tha one ah started shortly aftah my 25th birthday. Maybe it’s time ta see what would happen if ah introduced, even casually, animals back intae my diet. Er maybe ah won’t bring myself ta dae it cuz then ah won’t know who ah am anymore. Er somethang in between.
