Food Consciousness

Lately I've been thinking a lot about the way I live my life. Not the way I live my life in general, but the way I view the world from an ethical and spiritual standpoint in relation to the way I actually behave. For many years, I have taken issue with the mistreatment of animals in this country. I feel that the animals we raise for food have feelings and rights and should be treated in as humane a way as possible while they are alive. Sadly, it seems that the animals being raised for food are viewed as just that-food. No regard is given for a pig as being a pig with pig needs and pig feelings. The people raising and slaughtering cows aren't, at least for the most part, concerned with making any of the cows' journeys more comfortable or less terrifying. How am I living according to my own spiritual and ethical principals if I'm rolling on over to the local food store and buying the meat of these animals? Isn't that kind of like condoning the behavior that these animals are suffering under? How can I then live in harmony with the animal world? I write these words strictly from my own standpoint. It is not my wish to critisize anyone else's choices with respect to food or sex or anything else. I'm simply mulling over my own actions and trying to decide whether my actions have been in balance with my beliefs, beliefs that I feel very dedicated to and serious about. Recently, I watched a Paul McCartney film that he created for PETA, entitled "Glass Walls". For sure, it's difficult to watch this video and come away from it with a great desire to eat a hamburger. What I saw in the film made me sick to my stomach, and years of reading about the treatment of animals in the food industry left me without the luxury of disbelieving anything that he said. When I left the website, I was in tears and ready to make some serious changes. Being married to a Cajun man who is sworn to eating meat, I don't expect my new food choices to be his food choices. In the past, I have allowed his inability to give up meat be an excuse for me to refrain from giving it up either. That said, I realize that it will, at this time, not be practical for me to stop buying any meat at all. What I do know is that I don't have to eat it. I can make smaller portions for each of us, and create a vegetarian version of whatever it is I'm making (I'm fairly creative when it comes to cooking). Some nights, if I'm making a dish that I think he'll like, I will make just a vegetarian dish. Since my husband has issues with soybeans and wheat both, there will be many nights when a vegetarian option will be easier for me to enjoy than for him. If this is the case, I'll go with the veggie option and give him the meat one. I realize that compromise will be key in order for my lifestyle change to work for each of us, but I think I've arrived at a point in life where I'm ready to do the extra work and make the committment. Tonight I made buffalo turkey burgers-turkey for my husband, and a mixture of chic peas and all of the stuff I put into the turkey, plus a sprinkle of bread crumbs. I felt much better after eating the chic pea burger, both physically and mentally, and it tasted surprisingly good! Here's to ethical eating, one day at a time!