Leaving Meat Behind...Part 1

I became a vegetarian about 5 years ago. I just discovered, slowly (like I discover everything) that I felt better when I didn’t eat animal flesh. I must insert here that I still ate fish. I’m not sure how I decided that fish wasn’t animal flesh but I reasoned that since I didn’t feel poorly after eating it that it must be OK.

As the years progressed I became aware of the problems associated with farmed fish and the toxicity of unfarmed fish. Still I decided I’d cut back on the wild-caught and just eat it once or twice a week. That till I learned that our oceans are 70% fished out. Now I was in a conundrum. I didn’t want to contribute to the extinction of any creature.

One afternoon I was hanging out at the lake near my house and a young boy was fishing for tilapia by throwing out a net. Over and over, as he pulled in his net, he would grab the fish and throw them onto the grass where I watched them suffocate. One fish was tossed only a few feet from where I walked. I swear he looked right at me. I looked away. I couldn’t watch his agonizing death. At that very moment, I decided to “consider” not eating any more finned fish.

Maybe a year or so later, while at the now-ex’s river house, I sat along the edge of the canal in the late afternoon, fishing, a cold beer by my side. I found fishing to be fun and relaxing and I rationalized that I would just catch and release. But that evening, I ended up with a bucket full of nice-sized fish. The neighbor came over to clean them and within an hour they went from swimming along happily living their lives to swimming in hot boiling oil.

Nope can’t do that anymore, I decided, though I did continue my catch and release practice until one time I had so much trouble getting the hook out of the fish’s mouth, causing unbelievable damage to him, that I finally quit altogether. How cruel, I thought. Who’s to say how much pain they feel? I know a hook in my lip would hurt.

Still I ate shellfish and mollusks.

About six months ago I made the decision to research all aspects of the farming and meat production industry and after my investigations, I decided I HAD to go completely vegan. I’m surprised at the responses of other people. EVERYONE, and I mean everyone, has an opinion. I do not try to persuade or evangelize anyone to my way of eating. It does have its difficulties and I’m still learning but it is a choice I’m very content with.