Saturday, February 06, 2010

Vegitarianism

I've recently been  toying with the idea of becoming a vegetarian, and try it out for a year or two.  It's a long time commitment, so I'm not rushing into it but if I try it, I want to give it a significant amount of time to do whatever it can do so that I can really experience whatever it has to offer.

I put this here, rather than in the diet section because I'm almost positive that my reason for doing so has spiritual motivations rather than dietary. 

I do not have an ethical problem with eating meat, although I do find myself avoiding foods like veal and, I can never order a live lobster at a restaurant.  For some reason I feel that it's okay to eat animals that just already happen to be dead (realizing that my eating meat is creating a demand for meat) but something about signing the individual death warrant is too much for me.

All of that being said, I don't oppose the consumption of meat, and I'm not spray painting fur coats or anything.  I just find myself empathizing with those that do, but can't bring myself to get that worked up over it.  Writing this makes me feel a tiny bit of guilt though.

Anyway.

My real reason for doing so is just so see what it's like.  To put it in religious terms, I have faith that it's the kind of thing that COULD change my life, and I'm curious to find out if that's true.  If it happens to be something great for me, I don't want to be too close-minded to try it.

 Part of why I'm writing this is to avoid having to tell this story too many times.  Invariably when someone tells me that they are a vegetarian, I have to qualify it by asking "why."  I want to know if it's about health, or some "gross-out" factor.  I want to know if it's ethical, and if I should be sensitive to it when around them and not eat a lot of sliders.  I think most people see it as a personal choice for themselves, but c'mon, I think we all know there's at least a 20% chance he or she sees animals as equals and thinks I'm a murderer. 


Even going into it I would know that it was temporary, which is one of the only reasons why I think it could be possible.  I would compare it to the 2 year mission I served which was only enjoyably  endured by knowing it wasn't permanent.  Still...it WAS enjoyable, and what was experienced during those years shaped much of my current life in one way or another. 

In the end, the benefit I hope to get from such an undertaking would be both fitness of body and the exercise of an indomitable will.  I expect to feel a taste of what it's like for a person who completes a marathon. 

Maybe I should find a partner to do this with so that I have some support.  Any takers?
In the end, I think that I hope it does not do those things.  I think I would like to be able to say at the end that I'm happily returning to meat, and I gave vegetarianism its due try.  BUT, if I find myself thinning out and feeling better about myself and my health, I shall be very pleased as well at which point I would consider making it permanent.

I want to find out if meat is the "bad girlfriend" that parents don't want to see their son dating.  A couple of months (or in my case - years) of separation just might give her the perspective she needs to see how bad he really is for her.

Please let meat be a good girlfriend.  Just typing this makes me want a hamburger.

1 comment:

Roundy Clan said...

Good luck Ender! I have been trying to lose weight and I find when I go several days in a row without meat I get head aches. Weird right but maybe it's just a withdraw type thing like when you stop drinking caffeine or something. So good luck and I think you are plenty skinny any ways! haha