What I Didn't Have for Supper Last Night

When I started this blog, my aim was to update it once a month with something similar to what might appear in a newspaper column, if I had one. What I vowed not to do was blab about the boring details of what I had for supper last night, as so many bloggers seem to do. (Geez, I never knew that even FAMOUS people in whom I'm reasonably interested could be so mundane.) However, December is slipping by and I haven't been struck with a great literary inspiration, so I'm afraid we'll just have to make do.

So, umm... guess what? If my mother reads this, she'll drop dead on the spot, but it seems I have become a vegetarian.

Over the last several years, I have enjoyed meat less and less. Granted I've gobbled many a delicious entree... a steak from Ruth's Chris Steakhouse springs to mind especially... but any form of fast food was grossing me out. Hamburgers? Yuck. My formerly beloved Chik-Fil-A sandwiches? Long since deserted. The last time I ordered a roast beef sandwich from Subway, I wound up removing the roast beef because it just looked too shiny, the way meat does when it's been in the fridge too long. In short, I was constantly so worried about meat containing streaks of fat, gristle or other undesirable components, or I was afraid it had been handled in some way that rendered it unfit to eat, that I basically had to choke it down it real fast before I had time to think about it much.

Now that's stupid.

Luckily, in Target one night I just happened to flip through the pages of a book entitled Skinny Bitch, by Kim Barnouin and Rory Freedman. (check out www.skinnybitch.net) I'm sure that on any of a thousand days in my past I would have opened the book, caught the general idea of it, and scoffed, "Ha! Not for me." But somehow, the information imparted in this book came to me at just the moment I was ready to hear it.

If I thought I had been grossed out by finding fat or gristle in my meat, I believe I have now been sufficiently revolted by what happens to even a "good" piece of meat before it reaches my plate to swear it off for life. I have never been a bleeding- heart type of person, about animal rights or anything else. My previous opinion would have been along the lines of, "What else does a cow have to do with its life besides make my milk or become my steak?" It ain't like a cow is going to run for President. However, if I had taken much time to really examine this vague notion, I would have realized I assumed that they and other farm animals and fowl were at least living a reasonably happy life, cared for by dear old Farmer Brown, until that day came.

I have learned that this is FAR from the truth. Turns out, they generally live torturous lives in sort of concentration-camp conditions (except that instead of being starved, they're given growth hormones and overfed until sometimes their under-muscled, non-exercised legs won't even support them). Some animals never take a breath of fresh air or feel grass under their feet in their whole miserable lives. And if you still don't care about animals' FEELINGS, then consider this: under those conditions, animals are nasty, and they are sick. We've all heard about antibiotics in meat--now why do you suppose animals are given antibiotics? Hmm, well when do YOU take antibiotics? They are given antibiotics to keep them ALIVE long enough to slaughter them. Yum, yum--eat up, y'all. And if you think conditions are disappointing at Old McDonald's Farm, you oughta do a little research into how the fine professionals at the slaughterhouse are handling your future meal. Linda McCartney is credited with saying, "If slaughterhouses had glass walls, we'd all be vegetarians." I now agree. Of course, nobody thinks the process of slaughtering animals is pretty, but I suppose we all hope it's halfway sanitary. Well, think again.

I could go on and give you many more graphic examples, but I suggest you read the book, or for a shorter and equally convincing introduction to this topic, go to www.goveg.org and watch a shocking video entitled "Meet Your Meat." You may find it life-changing.