The Grass-seed Radical: Thirteen Years of Vegetarianism

[dawn_felagund]

Thirteen years ago today my cousin Trish had her high-school graduation party. How do I remember this? Because thirteen years ago today, I also became a vegetarian.

I was twelve years old at the time, and for a twelve-year-old, those sorts of family parties are always boring affairs. So I brought a book--okay, a stack of books--with me for company

Comments

[rhapsody11]

In a way, radical groups are like fandom: To a member of the group, it's the center of the world, and those who exist at its most extreme boundaries are worthy of the utmost respect. To an outsider, though, you seems like a group of nutjobs spinning your wheels over something pointless.

Very true, I think the whole strikethrough '07 is a very good example for this. I know some people went like (in the comments at LJ news posts by the CEO)... okay, that's way too fanatic. That was intriguing to follow, but on a larger scale in life... I was musing about that with Trek the other day. I have the same feeling when I watch the news regarding the G8 summit and when they film the activists.

For example, an activist could go into the forest on the first day of hunting season and blare "The Star-spangled Banner" and watch all of the hunters stand up. (Or, more likely--especially where I live, which is close to D.C. and, hence, Dick Cheney--get shot.)

*giggles* Now that's what happened.

(This all calls to mind another topic that I've considered blogging about: Why the fuck do some people call high school the best years of one's life?)

Good point, maybe because of the holidays and breaks compared to a working life?

I believe that the body takes what it needs. When I was expecting Kevin and the midwife asked how much meat I ate, I said.. well when I feel like it or when I think about it. To her it was important that I ate meat every day. Which I did (a bit reluctantly since I wasn't so good at keeping food down to begin with), but now I am back to the old routine, I often just don't feel like eating it. But no, I am not a vegetarian, but I respect those who are. And Dawn, every wee bit matters, after all even the smallest stone in a stream can alter things (said by Hegel but probably not the full or correct quote).

[dawn_felagund]

I believe, like you, that every small bit matters. For example, Bobby is a quasi-vegetarian: He continues to eat meat of all varieties, but he makes a conscious choice to limit what he eats. He had an Italian sandwich tonight; he'll make dinner for us another night with "fake chicken." Every bit does make a difference, and I wish that more people would understand this. There are 6 billion of us on this planet. Even a tiny change from each of us could make such a huge impact.

For example, my boss teases me about saving my plastic bottles to recycle. He doesn't think that one woman and five bottles a week makes a difference. Well, now, if every American followed my lead ... there are about 300 million Americans. (Scary!) Times five plastic bottles each ... 1.5 billion bottles each week. Times 50 weeks in a year (we'll exclude vacation weeks) is 75 billion bottles each year, with each person only recycling five each week. That's a small step but a huge difference.

Still, I don't look down on people who don't really cut the meat from their diets. From an American standpoint, it's tough. Our dietary culture was focused completely on meat; it sits at the center of every meal. The number of people aghast that I can spend the Thanksgiving holiday without eating turkey is a good example of that. Slowly, that is changing, largely because it is estimated that 6% of Americans are vegetarians. Still, it is not an easy decision to make, and I respect those who feel that they can't do it. I'm tempted every year into eating steamed crabs again. ;)

[rhapsody11]

For example, Bobby is a quasi-vegetarian: He continues to eat meat of all varieties, but he makes a conscious choice to limit what he eats.

Oh I am one too then, I never thought of that.

As for recycling: it does matter heaps. My municipality always has been progressive about this and they have a lot of things in place that makes it easier for you. Bi-weekly a company comes by to pick up glass, tin, plastic bags, paper ect ect. I don't buy soda in cans, but in large pet bottles that I can return to the grocery store... anyway!

Our dietary culture was focused completely on meat; it sits at the center of every meal.

Really, for all courses? For me only dinner, but sometimes I just don't include it. Breakfast and lunch is meat free for me, dinner just sometimes. We Dutch are really potato, meat and veggie eaters.

I'm tempted every year into eating steamed crabs again. ;)

Euwwww

[dawn_felagund]

Have you ever had steamed crabs? It sounds weird and looks gross (like eating giant spiders covered in seasoning), but omg, they are good! :^D

(Steamed crabs are a huge part of the regional culture where I live as well as our economy; Marylanders are born with a crab hammer in one hand and a can of Old Bay seasoning in the other!)

Really, for all courses?

Yep. :) Breakfast is typically eggs or some kind of griddle product (pancakes, French toast), but most Americans like some form of meat with breakfast. Bacon, eggs, and scrapple are common. (I'm guessing because scrapple isn't even in the Firefox spell-checker that this might be regional too? It's just what it sounds like: scraps of meat ground up into a loaf. >:-Þ )

Lunch is usually a sandwich, which includes meat and cheese and possibly vegetables and condiments. It's possible to make delicious vegetarian sandwiches, but to most Americans, the idea of a sandwich without meat is odd.

Dinner, of course, has meat as the main course with various veggie/starch side orders.

Currently, the Department of Agriculture recommends 2-3 servings of "protein" per day. This includes beans, legumes, and nuts as well as meat, but for most Americans, it means meat.

This is slowly changing as people are realizing that eating a lot of meat isn't really the healthiest choice. But when I became a vegetarian just 13 years ago, most people thought it unhealthy to avoid meat, and it was next to impossible to find anything for me to eat at a restaurant, aside from ordering nothing but vegetable side orders.