Day 42: Bittersweet Reunion

OK, I admit I’m a vegetarian. But one with a sense of humor. For instance, about 5 or 6 years ago, my relentless brother was teasing me with a chunk of turkey on Thanksgiving, so I grabbed it off his fork and ate it. I was amused; he was shocked, and he never did that again. I think that's the last time I ate any turkey. I still call myself a vegetarian in the same way a yawning motorcyclist can be a vegetarian, despite the swallowed bugs. It is incidental, not a habit.

This painting amuses me greatly though, and would even if I did still eat pork. My long-held belief is that a person should not eat meat if they’re not willing to kill the animal themselves. For a long time, whenever I ate animal flesh, I would take a moment and imagine that animal alive. Later, I would imagine myself slitting that animal’s throat and feeling its warm blood trickle down my arm.

I was very proud of this and was espousing my high-and-mightiness to a colleague. I said something I’d said a number of times: “I wish I had the opportunity to kill an animal, just so I could put my money where my mouth is.”

“What do you want to kill?” he asked. I’d forgotten this guy’s a deer and goose hunter. He has a good relationship with his butcher. I stopped talking and thought about it. Pigs are about as smart as my dog. Cows aren’t too different from horses. (which the French eat, and so have I). I went down the list and haven’t eaten pig or cow since. I continued to occasionally eat fish and chicken, which I would still kill, if I had to. More recent information has caused me to rethink that, too.

A lot of bloviating on the subject, but all this was in my head when this idea percolated to the top.

This painting also reminds me of one of my favorite jokes. (Google "wooden leg pig" if you don't know it)