Meat

When I had my daughter, a few people asked me if I planned to raise her a vegetarian like myself. I hadn’t given it much thought. I’ve been a veg for almost 20 years. I eat dairy, so I’m not vegan, but I’m not that into being a veg that I know if I am lacto-ovo or whatever. Lacto-ovo sounds like a fertility term anyhow.  I stopped eating red meat as a mis-guided teenager, thinking I needed to lose weight. I never developed a taste for it again. Later I cut out chicken. Over the years, hearing about slaughterhouses and just thinking of what meat actually IS … its firmed my beliefs. However, I have never been one to impose my views on others. I have dated and even married a meat eater. If I see meat touch my food, I’ll probably pass, but if I don’t see it, I’m good to go ( even though I know it probably has touched a dead animal). My attitude about my daughter eating meat has been a lot like my thoughts on religion- I’ll let her decide when she’s older.

Well, its pretty clear she’s a meat lover. Any kind- from the best- london broil or filet mignon to the most offensive not-really-sure-whats-in-it kind i.e bologna. Now I have to be honest with myself. For as much as I want to let her make her own choices, I am not thrilled that now she’d prefer to have a hamburger over a (delicious, really!) veggie burger at a BBQ. I don’t know where the hamburger came from- I mean I do know but not sure how it was treated or what hormones are in it. To avoid looking like the stereotypical crazy vegetarian mother ” No , Windsong, drop that burger!! Eat your alfalfa sprout patty ” , I had to have a conversation with her about where meat comes from- the PG version. She’s only 6. OK, maybe PG-13 version without scaring her.  I told her she can make her own choices , but I prefer she eat a veggie burger and this is why. And I will be standing over her guiding those choices with disapproving looks. Just kidding. But we are in the midst of BBQ season around here and I don’t think my thoughtful discussion on meat, hormones and animal cruelty are going to carry any weight once she sees a burger.  It is really hard to let these kids do what they want and have their own opinions and stuff. Just yesterday she asked me why she can’t wear a zucchini. Pretty sure she meant bikini. Either way, that discussion is for another blog.