Monday, January 11, 2010

I eat animals. I love animals.

I've always felt conflicted about my eating of animals. I'm an animal lover. The most my husband has ever seen me cry was when I held my beloved Scout as the vet put her to sleep. I've never met an animal I didn't love, but I've also never met a piece of chicken I didn't want to eat- fried chicken, BBQ chicken, chicken and dumplings...I love chicken. I feel sorry for the calves heading to feed lots, but leather is my preferred covering for chairs, couches, and boots. I am conflicted. As a compromise to my love-to-love/love-to-eat animals issue, I have at least one meat-free day a week. Today I had white chocolate apricot toast for breakfast; Pot Belly's vegetarian sandwich with chips for lunch, and a baked sweet potato for supper; it was a meat-free day.

One of my most-special friends, Dooley, is a vegetarian and I am inspired by her choice to forgo the eating of animals. But in Dallas/Fort Worth being a vegetarian is almost taboo. I am doing my best being a gay man in this world. I can't take on another minority role: being a gay man AND a vegetarian in Texas. I love animals, but for now I plan to continue to eat animals.

Do you eat animals too? If so you must, must read this book: Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran. I just started this book, and I can already tell it's going to be great. Get it. Read it. Call me to discuss.

2 comments:

  1. Thanks for the shout-out! I am still rocking it meatless in the ATX. It is very hot to be a vegetarian in Austin. I haven't read this but want to soon!

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  2. I just finished Eating Animals. It really rocked me. I feel like I am making kind choices by not eating pork, poultry, or beef, but I learned a lot about the impacts of current fishing policies. I guess I am going to keep shopping at the farmers market - and I feel more empowered to ask questions about the farmers practices.

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