Something incredibly
peculiar happened to me today as I ate my lunch and I’m happy
about it.
I should start by saying
that for years, for ethical and health benefits, I have wanted to become
vegetarian. I have tried but have not
stuck to it. The fault is mine. I just didn’t have enough knowledge. It’s easy
to say, “don’t eat meat”, but I have nut allergies so it adds to my
limitations.
The time of year is also a
factor as I am a winter comfort food addict.
Spring however, is almost the perfect time to change a diet. There are so many more fruits and vegetables
available at better prices and nothing is better than buying produce at the
farmers market that is fresher than fresh.
So, here’s my story. I was at my desk and I started eating my
lunch that included some chicken. It
didn’t have any seasonings or dressing, it was just plain chicken and it tasted
just like chicken. As I chewed, I could
hear birds chirping on the roof through the skylight. Hearing the birds made me picture in my head
a chicken walking around in the grass pecking at the ground. Then, I imagined
that dear little chicken in my mouth. I felt nauseous. The idea of eating that chicken didn’t make
sense. After that mouthful I was done. I couldn't eat anymore of it.
I can say with 100%
certainty that if I had to kill and skin/carve/pluck/fillet what I eat, I would
NEVER eat meat or fish. Ever. The birds
chirping just hit a place in me that made it all make sense.
Last time I tried to
change my diet, I made the mistake of using PETA as a resource/reference. Don’t get me wrong, I think what PETA does
makes a difference but it is also not for me.
I have a fragile soul. I am emotional and empathetic. I need good,
valuable, usable information and resources that can help me become vegetarian.
I don’t need to see cruelty. I know it exists and it is awful, beyond awful.
I used to donate monthly
to the Toronto Humane Society. They would send me the monthly magazine that had
all these awful stories of neglect and abuse.
I asked them to stop sending me the magazine and they wouldn’t. I had to
cancel my donation to stop being exposed to that which affected me too much.
Don’t even get me started on The Animal Planet!
I will not be the kind of
person who pushes onto anyone how or what they should eat. It is such a
personal choice and if a person is meant to be vegetarian or vegan, they will
get there if they are meant to get there.
www.veg.ca
The Toronto Vegetarian Association seems like a good place for me to
start. Wish me luck.
