•
As I think back to my youth, those inanimate squishy chunks of flesh that I ate were silent in revealing the suffering, anguish and eventual death of living, breathing, feeling animals. Unlike most kids, my favorite sandwich wasn’t the classic veg-friendly peanut butter & jelly, but salami and cheddar cheese on white bread, no crusts. In fact, I was the poster child for an anti-vegetarian because the only “vegetable” that I would willingly eat and enjoy was corn on the cob, glistening with butter. I remember sitting alone at the dinner table with a plate of green beans, obstinate and steadfast in my refusal to eat them.
There’s still some vegetables that I won’t eat, like brussel sprouts, green peas, and those dreaded green beans that vexed me as a child.
But for me, being veg isn’t about what vegetables I will or won’t eat — it’s about the animals that I’m not eating, and the suffering and death that they are spared.
•
I used a feature of Microsoft Windows to create a screensaver that is a slideshow of my favorite pictures. Of course, I included my photographs of the cats. Since we went digital camera-wise several years ago, we have a huge selection of cat pictures.
It’s nice to step back into my office and see pictures of my furry friends rotating on the screen. It’s like art imitating life because it includes photographs of them nestled in their cat beds or on the furniture, and they’re often doing just that. As my fingers tap on the keyboard, Mite is in the middle bed on my desk, Moo’s got the futon chair, and Harry’s snagged some real estate on the carpet.
Chris commented that I have more pictures of Jack than anyone else. That’s probably true, because I am fascinated by his coloring and he’s very photogenic. But when it comes to having a favorite cat, well, I’ve thought long and hard about this.
When I was growing up, as all siblings know, sometimes everything isn’t equal. My parents tried hard and I felt it was pretty balanced. But when it comes to the cats, am I doing as good a job as my parents? I try, but with cats its different.
They each crave different type of affection at different moments. Do I have a favorite? I thought I did. But then I realized that I don’t. The cats are the ones that have favorites, and my favorite is simply the one who favors me the most. Anyone who has cats will understand – cats come to humans for affection and attention, not vice versa. Fortunately the odds are in my favor since there are 4 cats and 2 humans.
•
I have these vague memories of education in the San Francisco Bay Area public school system. I remember teachers bringing a beam in for us to walk the length of, with our arms outstretched, to teach us balance. We were young. Maybe 1st or 2nd grade. The polished beam looked just like the balance beam used in the Olympic gymnastic competitions, except this one rested on the floor.
I remember not being very good at it and stumbling off. Sometimes my real life is still like that. It’s hard for me to keep balance, and one direction and interest of my life will dominate over the others. Lately its been all the veg stuff.
I’ve deliberately done a correction and scaled back involvement to a more moderate amount. It feels strange, but I think its right, for my long-term involvement in promoting vegetarianism.
I have been veggie in the SF area for awhile, usually involved in some manner in promoting and building community for vegetarian people in the San Francisco Bay Area. In some ways it’s interesting to look back at everyone I met along the way and see what has changed. It’s always exciting to think about all the new people that have become involved. Yet, it’s also discouraging to think of how long there have been advocates for vegetarianism and it’s still not mainstream.
Would there be more vegetarians today if Pythagoras had been blonde with big boobs?