Some dear friends are sure that Hell has frozen over: a few days ago, visiting my Father on what's left of the family farm in central Texas, I knowingly and deliberately ate meat, for the first time in ~15 years. Before and after pictures of the plate:

A dear friend asks, "Why?" My response is that there were no major deep philosophical or logical reasons, but just a variety of self-experimental or silly or social excuses:

• it was a way to be a polite visitor in someone else's home (though that never changed my behavior in years past)
• as a traveler, in some belief systems, ritual stay-at-home rules are suspended (but I'm not a believer in such systems or rituals)
• the barbecue (BBQ) smelled good, and I wondered if tasting it would be a huge thrill (it wasn't)
• it wasn't very much meat, just a rib and a slice of beef brisket and a couple of discs of pork sausage (but nevertheless, it was dead animal flesh)
• I was curious as to whether my digestion could cope with the unexpected (seemed fine, no tummy trouble or intestinal distress)
• there has probably been some meat in various foods I've eaten over the past ~15 years anyway (e.g., lard in some refried beans, etc.), so this wasn't "really" such a radical change (but it was a conscious, chosen act, in conflict with my ethical-philosophical position against harming animals)

But the main reason: isn't it a bit compulsive and neurotic-fanatical to maintain a "streak" for so long? I've felt that way with some ultrarunner buddies who think they absolutely must jog at least a mile every day for months on end or longer. Likewise with comrades who have run a particular race every year since time immemorial, and who insist on doing it in spite of injury, lack of training, horrid weather, etc.

And yeah, I'm OCD — but I can also obsess about not being excessively obsessive, eh?!

(cf. SufferTheAnimals (2000-06-11), CompassionateCarnivorism (2002-11-19), Franklin on Vegetarianism (2008-06-17), Omnivore's Dilemma (2009-05-16), No Simple Answers (2009-12-01), Philosophical Vegetarian Issues (2010-07-15), ...) - ^z - 2013-08-27