Her first photo was of dozens of dead pigs and geese hanging upside down at the butcher shop. Further down, there was another shot of turkey corpses arranged the same way. These scenes, she said, made her feel "like I’d stepped into ‘A Christmas Carol." As for me, I was reminded of all the Mexican mercados I've explored, with the displays at meat counters where I avert my eyes, exactly the way I do, after a pitying glance, when I spot roadkill on the highway.
It's not the first time I've seriously thought of going vegetarian. Already I've all but stopped buying ground meat except for dogfood, creepily unsure of what unappetizing substances might be going into what we call hamburger in these belt-tightening times. I still like Mexican bacon (though I could live happily without it), and I regularly buy neatly packaged chicken breasts, but I wouldn't want to deal with a whole chicken anymore. When we roast a turkey, the Capt is the one who disassembles it for leftovers. Maybe it's time I got real about my ambivalence toward meat.
Photo from an article on HyScience website, about how vegetables can help prevent diabetes
So one of my New Year's resolutions (or wishes as the Mexicans call them) might just be to go back to vegetarian. I may have to consult with the few vegetarians I know for ideas.
Chrys Page, one of my singing mentors, has this advice about resolutions: express them as though they are already a reality, not something we are going to do in the future. An example: "I am a singer (vegetarian? nonsmoker? writer? a considerate, thoughtful friend?) I know it's my destiny to be successful. I practice every day, and the Divine Spirit that runs the universe is right this minute working to give me my heart's desire! I am confident that as I continue to work on my dream, it cannot help but materialize for me."
Looks like it's time to go put on a pot of beans.