A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

    "Francie came away from her first chemistry lecture in a glow. In one hour she
had found out that everything was made up of atoms which were in continual
motion. She grasped the idea that nothing was ever lost or destroyed. Even if
something was burned up or left to rot away, it did not disappear from the face of
the earth; it changed into something else--gases, liquids, and powders.
Everything, decided Francie after that first lecture, was vibrant with life and there
was no death in chemistry. She was puzzled as to why learned people didn't
adopt chemistry as a religion."
              Excerpt from  A Tree Grows in Brooklyn    by Betty Smith  (1943)

DeSigns

    Recently I read yet another long letter/article addressing the Theory of Evolution.

I have read a number of stands on this issue and it seems to me there is at least one

other perspective I have not seen presented. It could be that there are articles or essays

from this alternative point of view, but I have not come across them. I will present this

as clearly as I can in hopes it will be found interesting and sound enough to seriously

consider.

   There are numerous publications concerning the observations of how objects move

and interact within the universe. A simplified paraphrase might go something like this:

There are certain physical laws or forces that compel matter to behave in certain

and predictable ways; gravity, electromagnetism, quantum mechanics, properties of

light, radioactivity and the like. Everything from atomic particles to planets and stars 

move according to these laws described by physics. We do not make these laws, we

merely discover, recognize, describe and name them. It is theorized that if one could 

somehow calculate via a giant scheme of instrumentation all the various forces effecting

an object, one could correctly predict exactly how that object would behave/move. 

And not only that, one could accurately calculate retrospectively every move that object

had previously made. All this is to say that matter moves exactly thus and so according

to the laws of nature. It has no options. If it ever appears to be unpredictable, or to have

an option, it is only because we are unable to measure precisely all the forces acting

upon it. 

   I can follow the train of thought in this line of reasoning and it does seem logical to me.

And apparently there are some who believe this same line of reasoning applies to

absolutely everything. That, for example, every person will do exactly what they will do

in the same fashion as a comet can only arc along one course. Do we make a selection 

or does it just appear we have chosen? When we “decide” something, some argue that

we retroactively (instantaneously almost) rationalize our “decision” as to believe we

actually chose, versus just understanding our determinate behavior.  However, I doubt

most people would concur.  We seem to intuitively posit that we do indeed  have options.

Should I  conclude that the same forces that compel an object to roll downhill, or cause

a proton to be attracted to an electron, somehow determine whether I will  drink a

lemonade versus a Coca Cola with my lunch? It does not at all seem comparable. 

But how can it be that everything else is completely set in motion by its relative placement

in this universe, while we make hundreds of thousands of tiny decisions/choices every day? 

What constitutes this difference, this realm of possibilities, or options?

     I was pondering these questions when one more observation came to mind—

 The distinguishing characteristic shared amongst compositions that exhibit options is that

they are alive. If this assumption is correct, then perhaps not only is Evolution not in 

opposition to Christian religion, but actually an apologetic argument in support of beleiving

in a divine Creator. If nothing about inanimate matter suggests it is capable of anything other

than determinate behavior, how was this concept of possibility, or options, introduced

with animation? An iron atom inside a living thing is no better off than an iron atom in a

non-living thing. I suggest that non-life does not have within itself this necessary and unique

(even defining?) ingredient required for animation.

   I am no expert on the subject, but I do know that the Theory of Evolution is based on 

the presence of alternatives (probability). Thus and such could either proceed this way

or that way, one of which produces a more optimal result. Only living things can be or do 

or turn a selection. The conscious choice of a person to stand up or sit down may seem 

worlds apart from a tadpole swimming to or fro, but I believe both are ultimately the result

of Evolution. Darwin called this natural selection, or survival of the fittest. Life is invested

in staying alive. Bacteria demonstrate this when they mutate into drug resistant strains. 

Living things are "programmed" to continue living, or try to. But materially speaking, this 

is not logical. An iron atom in a rock is no "better off" than an iron atom in you or me.

It has no stake in whether it is part of a living thing, or an inanimate object.  To this end,

Evolution serves no real purpose, or provides no real benefit to the matter in the universe.

Nor does life. While life is a process that utilizes, or consumes energy, the equation 

describing the transmutable relationship of energy and mass, is complete in itself.

   It is a likely conclusion that life is not natural at all, but rather created.  Created

by an intentional purposed Creator, via a design we have named Evolution.

Suffering is a Necessary Evil

In order for a person to have the virtue of compassion, evil must exist.  Compassion is an
awareness of suffering,  and a desire to relieve it. Suffering is a type of evil because it deals
with pain. Someone who feels pain or anguish is said to be suffering, and indeed, the
definition of suffering is one who is enduring pain or evil. Without the existence of suffering,
while a person may have the concept of compassion, they would not actually have compassion.
   Compassion is a deep awareness of the suffering of another. In addition, it is also the desire
to relieve it.  Simply knowing that another is suffering is not sufficient; one must also
feel the desire to rid that person of their suffering. In this way compassion can be viewed as a
virtue because it is considered an act of moral goodness to desire someone be rid of their
suffering, (as opposed to indifference).
   Suffering is an evil. There are different kinds of evil, and there may be kinds of evil that do
not directly include suffering (such as lying and deception, which may lead to suffering but
typically in and of themselves not considered suffering).
   A distinction may be made between Moral evils, in which a conscience decision is made by
a person and that decision/action causes suffering, or, a Natural evil, where some phenomenon
causes suffering. But in either case, the cause here is not the issue, but the result,
which is suffering.
   Without suffering, one cannot have compassion. It may be possible for a person to understand
suffering without there actually being suffering, perhaps by forming a theory of what it would be
like to live in a universe where there was no suffering; however a person with such an
understanding would not actually have the virtue of compassion because there would be no
suffering to be aware of.  Furthermore, compassion entails not only understanding suffering but
also having a desire to rid someone of it. Therefore, if suffering only existed as a concept, not
an actual affliction, while one might understand what compassion would be like, they could
never actually have compassion because there would be no one suffering  they could wish to
be made free of that suffering.  It might also be argued that for a person to truly understand
suffering as more than a concept, they themselves would have to experience suffering at some
point or time.
   In order for a person to have the virtue of compassion, evil must exist. This is not to say that
all the different types of evil must exist, but of those evils, suffering must exist. Simply understanding
suffering is not sufficient, for in order to have the virtue of compassion, one must have not only
a deep understanding of a being's suffering, but also a desire to rid them of that suffering. If that
suffering did not exist, neither would the virtue of compassion.

Adapted from an essay by Damian J. Gick

Fast Food

It seems to be a sort of  right-of-passage in this country to work at a fast food restaurant
at some point in our life.  Most often as a teenager or young adult.  It also seems to be
a standard put-down to remark about someone that they could at least get a job "flipping
hamburgers", or something to that effect.  Implying that working in a fast food place, or "flipping
hamburgers" is very demeaning and mindless work that deserves no respect. I would like to
point out that any honest work that serves others in a positive way is respectable work. Also,
taking into account that many many American teenagers will work in these positions for at least
a summer or so, you might want to reconsider your attitude of impatience or disrespect the next
time you become annoyed at the drive-through window. That pimple faced kid ringing up your
order may be your heart surgeon 20 years from now! Not only that, but food can quickly turn
deadly if it is not properly handled.  Someone has to be conscientious enough to make sure it
is kept at proper temperature,  cleaned, cooked thoroughly etc.  If you or a family member got
seriously sick, all of a sudden "flipping hamburgers" would not seem like such a menial job.
We have become way too rude and disrespectful of each other and would do well to remember
we are all created equal, and in the most important regards, stay that way.
 
    

More Than A Vote

2012 is an election year and as such we will be hearing a lot about the importance of voting. It is both a great privilege and a responsibility. It may seem like a burden at times, the waiting in lines or listening to all the ads, but most of us wade through these inconveniences and make the effort to support  our candidates of choice.
However, I think we have another powerful tool, perhaps  even more powerful, that we need to research.
Namely, how we invest our money. Now it is commonly discussed that we do well to buy certain products and support certain businesses for various reasons. Such as, one might say--I buy from the local hardware
store rather than Lowes, because even though it costs a bit more I want to support my towns independent hardware store than a huge mega-corporation.  The same could be said for a small hamburger stand as opposed to McDonalds. This is of course important and effective, as is voting in elections. But there is another avenue a little less obvious.  Many of us, (hopefully most of us)  have some sort of retirement plan.
Many people own stocks, bonds  or have money invested in Mutual Funds.  How many of us research those
companies to see exactly what we are financially supporting? We should be doing this!  At least as much, if not more so, than we scrutinize our political candidates! For example--Are the companies I invest in environmentally friendly?  Organic foods, biodegradable chemicals/pesticides, hormone-free meats and milk,
Do my investments favor renewable energy or "green" companies? Solar panel, hybrid cars, recyclables.
What about the size of the company? I want my money to be in local and regional industries where the major portion of labor and production is in the USA.  We need to be "loaning" our funds to manufactures  that are compliant with pollution and safety regulations domestically and abroad.  Furthermore, we each have our perspective of what we feel is ethical or moral, and our stock portfolio should reflect this. Are you against abortion? Then don't invest in medical companies that produce those drugs. Do you believe in Gay rights?
Then consider supporting companies that offer health-care benefits to gay partners. Yes, there really are some!  My personal pet-peeve is Reckitt Benckiser Pharmaceuticals Inc.  They manufacture Suboxone which I think is one of the biggest abominations the medical community has foisted on the public in decades. I do not want my Mutual Fund to include it!  It is ok, very ok, to ask these kinds of questions to the representatives your employer provides to help you set up your retirement plan. Or if you are affluent enough to have your own investment rep they will be more than happy to accommodate your wishes. After all, its your money. Money speaks loud and it has a lot to say!      

Sixth Grade

I grew up in West Lafayette Indiana and went to grade school
at Cumberland Elementary. Mr. Tweedy was our 6th grade
teacher and one day in English class he gave us this
writing assignment; imagine you can be any age you would
like to be and write a description about being that age.
Or something to that effect. I have no recollection of what
I myself actually wrote, but I do remember Mr. Tweedy
reading aloud to us in class the paper written by one of my
fellow students. It went sorta like this...
If I could be any age I wanted to be I would be 90 years
old. I could sleep in as late as I wanted and have breakfast
brought to me in bed. Every afternoon I would have wheelchair
races with my friends in the nursing home and watch TV every
evening...
Everyone in the class was amused and impressed! It stills
strikes me as remarkably creative for a 6th grade kid to have
such insight. I don't remember what I wrote about, but I
remember his paper.
How awesome it would be if we really DID look forward,
with hope and good expectations, to growing old. I think we
would probably all live our lives with greater care and
healthier habits if we could claim such positive dreams of
our futures.

song lyrics Canada Revisited

chorus 10th fret D sus
He came from the north where the cold wind blows
He came from the land of the ice and the snow
D add B
He moved down south to the USA
where the beach is nice and the palm trees sway

10th fret D sus
He met some guys, Crosby Stills and Nash
They all played music so they formed a band
D add B
They wrote some songs that made it big
Their records sold, they had a bunch of hits


vs 1 D add f, e % % %
That was the sixties when life was wild
Times were crazy Be a wild child
After a while the group went sour
lost in a haze of flower power

rpt chorus

vs 2 He always had a heart for the common man
from Kent State to the war in Viet Nam
Now he sings for farmers that are losing their land
Some foreigners make the best Americans

instrumental A Amaj7 Bm (G A Bm) % % %

rpt chorus

vs 3 Canada's loss became our gain
He helped found a cause called Farm Aid
Food is best when its grown by hand
Factory farms are a blight on our land

1/2 chorus w/ outro
where he still plays his music everyday

Bacon Had a Mom

The other day someone offered to feed our little service group dinner.
I immediately thought to myself...Very nice but I better eat a big lunch
cause chances are there won't be much I can eat! Most of us vegetarians
think similar thoughts when we attend parties or are invited to dinners.
Pot-lucks are a little easier since there is usually such a wide variety
of foods. But, as I entered the door the hostess said to me "There is no meat
in the soup. I put the bacon on the side". How sweet and thoughtful of her
to remember! And the potato soup was indeed delicious! Not all hosts are
as attentive and gracious, but I am more aware of it these days and try
to be a considerate hostess myself. When we have company over we do grill
meats. I believe it is the polite thing to do. I do not feel it is a breach
of my ethics to serve meat, only a breach of my personal discipline to
eat it. Similar considerations might be allergies, or people who consume
a gluten-free diet. We are very grateful when our friends and family are
mindful of our limits. Everybody likes to be respected and remembered!

Anti-recipes

Most vegetarians are extraordinary cooks. This seemed true before I became
vegetarian and holds true today. Most of the vegetarians I know really are amazing
cooks, and, they seem to enjoy cooking. Perhaps one does have to be a bit more
creative to prepare tasty dishes without the use of meat, however,I want to dispell
the myth that being a chef is a requirement! I have never been an excellent cook
and am just barely passable to this day. There are about 6-8 entrees I can cook
well and hardly anything I can bake. My husband is a much better cook than I. He
regularly makes homemade pesto, hummus, pat-thai and blueberry pancakes. A good
deal of the articles I read regarding vegetarianism are basically recipe and/or
cooking articles. But if this has never been your passion, it is not necessary
to start now (unless of course you want to). Even people who are great cooks
have a few simple staple things they eat when they are in a hurry or don't feel
like cooking. You just need to find some of these things for yourself. For example,
some of the default foods which I can always eat if I don't want to fix something,
or, if I am someplace where everything on the table appears to contain meat, is a
peanut butter and jelly sandwich and tomato soup. Maybe for you its a grilled
cheese sandwich or nachos. Veggie pizza is another option. All I'm saying is that its a good idea to find a few simple, readily available vegetarian options that
you can eat in a pinch. It might save you a relapse!

Woo Hoo! Lets Go To The Grocery Store!

No, really, I'm not being sarcastic! I think grocery stores are awesome and I am
very very grateful we have them. Just think, we can go into Ingles or Food Lion
and buy fresh blueberries in the middle of winter. We can buy Sea Bass flown in
from South America and coffee beans from Africa. Then we can walk only a few
meters of clean air-conditioned aisles to the meat section and pick up a chicken
(if you eat such things) already cleaned and cut up. You don't have to wring its
neck, pluck the feathers or gut the innards! How convenient is that?! And, you
can even buy quality-controlled aspirin tablets in the same store. We don't have
to go peel the bark off a willow tree and pound some kind of concoction into
a paste. Heck no, we can dash through the whole place in 30 minutes and load
up with stuff from 5 different countries if that's what we want. Of course, it's also
wonderful to take the time and love to plant our own vegetables and raise our own
chickens, but lots of people either don't have the space or the desire to do so.
And that is totally OK. People shouldn't feel like they are pressured into gardening
or canning etc. It is a healthy and green activity but only for those who enjoy it.
So the next time you go grocery shopping, instead of thinking about all those articles
you have read about additives and junk food, look around and breathe a sigh of thanks.

Guerilla Gardening

Once upon a time the town of Todmorden in West Yorkshire, England
was a thriving community. However, decades of industrial cotton milling
and opencast mining have left the area in economic decline, its buildings
covered with soot, and a large percentage of its residents unemployed,
living in government assisted housing. Two summers ago a revival of
greenery broke out in Todmorden, an outbreak of guerrilla gardening.
Todmorden revitalized its food economy through a grow-your-own
initiative that uses publicly owned spaces for raising fruits and vegetables.
Vegetables, fruit trees and herbs have been planted on the abandoned
demolition site in the center of town, from heaps of spoil, and outside the
railway station and bus stops. Not only are individuals feeding their own
families, they are selling produce to local shops and restaurants. Today,
Todmorden's three local schools serve only locally grown vegetables and
locally raised meats, and its restaurants draw tourists from all over Great
Britain. Is this a model that could work in our/your community?
Think globally--Act locally... Homegrown is a good thing!

One Small Thing

This morning we went to the Appalachian Growers Festival at Monteith Park
in Dillsboro. There were bunches of people there selling herbs, garden plants,
seeds and other farming/gardening/flowering stuff. One hippie looking dude
had eggs for sale, lots of eggs. We asked him how many chickens he owned.
He said 60 laying hens. Then he said this--I love raising chickens. Sometimes
at night I'll go into the barn and just listen to them. They make a soft almost
cooing sound at night when they roost.
I thought that was so cool. I thought--Thats the kind of food I want to eat.
Food raised by farmers that go into their barns at night just to listen.

The Soup

I came home from my evening class a few nights ago and my husband met
me at the door, "I did something today and as soon as I did it I felt bad. It
was kind of stupid and I realized as soon as I did it, I shouldn't have. I
considered not telling you but decided no to go that route." Of course, my
mind immediately started to run though the possibilities... "You bought
something expensive on ebay?" was my first inquiry. "No" he replied.
"You invited somebody to come stay with us for 2 weeks?" I asked.
"No, I put this in the soup" he responded, holding up a very small carton
in his right hand. I leaned forward to read the writing on the box--chicken
broth. "Oh". "I made a pot of butternut squash soup and used 2 cartons
of vegetable broth, a carton of heavy cream, then added this without
thinking". "Oh" I repeated.
He had made one of my favorite homemade soups, cream of butternut squash.
He had chopped up two large squash, onion, garlic, 1/2 a jalapeno pepper,
cooked it all then run it though the blender. The huge pot was still on the stove,
a beautiful shade of baby-plooey orange.
Vegetarianism is, by definition, a protocol of rules, an adherence to boundaries,
a self-imposed regulation. However, it need not be an obsession. We need not
be Pharisees, placing the rules themselves above the substance behind them.
I ate the soup, and kissed my husband for being sweet enough make it, and
thoughtful enough to tell me the truth.

Dear Abby

The following letter appeared in Dear Abby's advice column a couple weeks ago...
Dear Abby,
I am 27 and have been a vegetarian for five years. I am trying to develop a thick
skin when it comes to people who question or make fun of my choice, but I'm
tired of laughing and letting the comments "roll off" my back.
When my grandfather sits near me at a family event, he will analyze my plate,
look at me in disgust and then tell me, "Carrots have feelings too."
When I go to a well-known sandwich shop, I order a basic and "boring" sandwich,
which I really enjoy. The sandwich makers give me funny looks and ask,
"That's all?" or, "You're spending five bucks on THIS?"
I am tired of people questioning what I eat or what kind of sandwich I choose to
spend my money on. What is the best response to people who are so rude?--
Herbivore by Choice in New York
Dear Herb,
Sorry, there is no one-size-fits-all snappy one-liner. But take comfort in the fact
that a growing number of people are choosing to avoid meat and poultry not
only for ethical reasons, but also because they prefer to avoid the hormones and
antibiotics used in their production.
When someone comments or questions you, it's important to consider the source
as well as the intent behind the remarks. Your grandfather may be trying to be
humorous--or he may be showing concern because he comes from a generation
that didn't learn there can be benefits from a vegetarian diet.
As to the sandwich shop employee--the person may be trying to "sell you up."
I completely agree that ridiculing a customer is not only bad manners but also
bad for business. The next time it happens, complain about it to the manager.

logic

The following is an excerpt from a short-story written in 1964 by John Updike called
The Christian Roommates:

In these months there was often a debate about the subject posed under their eyes:
Hub's vegetarianism. There he would sit, hus tray heaped high with a steaming double
helping of squash and lima beans, while Fitch would try to locate the exact point at
which vegetarianism became inconsistent. "You eat eggs," he said.
"Yes," Hub said.
"You realize that every egg, from the chicken's point of reference, is a newborn baby?"
"But in fact it is not unless it has been fertilized by a rooster."
"But suppose," Fitch pursued, "as sometimes happens--which I happen to know, from
working in my uncle's henhouse in Maine--an egg that should be sterile has in fact been
fertilized and contains an embryo?"
"If I see it, I naturally don't eat that particular egg." Hub said, his lips making that
satisfied concluding snap.
Fitch pounced triumphantly, spilling a fork to the floor with a lurch of his hand.
"But why?" The hen feels the same pain on being parted from an egg whether sterile
or fertile. The embryo is unconscious--a vegetable. As a vegetarian, you should eat it
with special relish." He tipped back in his chair so hard he had to grab the table edge
to keep from toppling over.
"It seems to me," Dawson said, frowning darkly--these discussions, clogging some
twist of his ego, often spilled him into a vile temper--"that psychoanalysis of hens is
hardly relevant."
"On the contrary," Kern said lightly, clearing his throat and narrowing his pink,
infected eyes, "it seems to me that there, in the tiny, dim mind of the hen--the
minimal mind, as it were--is where the tragedy of the universe achieves a pinpoint
focus. Picture the emotional life of a hen. What does she know of companionship? A
flock of pecking, harsh-voiced gossips. Of shelter? A few dung-bespattered slats.
Of food? Some flecks of mash and grit insolently tossed on the ground. Of love?
The casual assault of a polygamous cock--cock in the biblical sense. Then, into this
heartless world, there suddenly arrives, as if by magic, an egg. An egg of her own.
An egg, it must seem to her, that she and Gog have made. How she must cherish it,
its beautiful baldness, its gentle luster, its firm yet somehow fragile, softly swaying
weight."
Carter had broken up. He bent above his tray, his eyes tight shut, his dark face
contorted joyfully. "Puhleese," he gasped at last. "You're making my stomach
hurt."
"Ah, Carter," Kern said softly, "if that were only the worst of it. For then, one day,
while the innocent hen sits cradling this strange, faceless, oval child, its little weight
swaying softly in her wings"--he glanced hopefully at Carter, but the colored boy
bit his lower lip and withstood the jab--"an enormous man, smelling of beer and
manure, comes and tears the egg from her grasp. And why? Because he"--Kern
pointed, arm fully extended, across the table, so that his index finger, orange with
nicotine, almost touched Hub's nose--"he, Saint Henry Palamountain, wants more
eggs to eat. 'More eggs!' he cries voraciously, so that the brutal steers and faithless
pigs can continue to menace the children of American mothers!"
Dawson slammed his silver down, got up from the table, and slouched out of the
dining room. Kern blushed. In the silence, Peterson put a folded slice of roast beef
in his mouth and said, chewing, "Jesus, Hub, if somebody else kills the animals you
might as well eat 'em. They don't give a damn anymore."
"You understand nothing," Hub said simply.

FARM AID

Every year for the past 8 or 9 years my husband and I have attended the annual
Farm Aid concert. Starting in 1985, Farm Aid is the longest running benefit concert.
Founded by Willie Nelson, John Mellencamp and Neil Young, Farm Aid has raised
nearly $36 million to promote a strong and resilient family farm system of
agriculture. Based on the belief that healthier food is grown on family farms rather
than "factory farms", Farm Aid seeks to educate and promote fair farm policies and
grassroots organizations. Donations can be made through the website
www.FarmAid.org but the best way to support the cause of healthy food for America
is by the way we spend our money buying food. Buy organic, buy local, buy fresh
and, if you eat meat, buy chemical/hormone free meats. Buy cage-free eggs, clothes
made from organic cotton and visit farmers' markets whenever possible.
Yes, you may have to pay more for some of these items, but this is for an important
cause that has a widespread and multi-generational impact. Listen to Willie!

A Short Story

I like to write poetry and have taken several creative writing classes, however
most of my education has been in the sciences, as I am a health care provider.
I can recall the attitude my contemporaries had of the liberal arts students--
that they majored in such things as Literature or English because those classes
were so much "easier", or, they were not "smart enough" to pass the math and
science courses. One Sunday, a couple years ago, I attended a workshop on
Spiritual Writing. It was mostly attended by MFA people, advanced writers
and other literary types. I was astonished (I guess naively) to hear them talk
disdainfully about scientists, accountants, business people and others of the
so-called precise or exact disciplines. I mean, I knew We talked bad about Them,
but I didn't know They talked bad about US! I felt like I needed to defend the
creative side of the sciences...where do you think discovery and inventions come from?
Somebody has to think them up! But I kept silent and just pondered my own
prejudices. I bring this up because it reminds me a little of the way vegetarians
and omnivores view each other. Both camps seem to enjoy throwing barbs at the
others. And not just in private, witness the bumper stickers and T-shirts now
available. I view it as both impolite and ineffective. Nobody ever changed their mind
because they were insulted did they? Will anybody ever be converted to another
perspective or idea if they are humiliated? The best way to promote a position is
to make it attractive, that is, point out the positive, not tear down the humanity
of the other. There are numerous reasons I believe eating vegetables is preferable
to eating meat, but, in the end it has to be an individual decision.

slips

Another topic I seldom hear mention of--slips. I do not mean the type of "slip" where
a committed vegetarian decides to one day eat a steak, I'm referring more to accidents.
Like when you think something contains no meat or meat broth but find later it does.
This is not an uncommon occurrence if one is not vigilant. The most frequent venues
I have this problem with are pot-luck style dinners and cafeterias. I work in a hospital
that has a lunchroom cafeteria with a "hot bar", salad bar and a grill. Often times
items on the hot-bar are not readily identifiable, and they are never labeled. I recall
once spooning some scalloped potatoes onto my plate. I pushed them around a bit and
didn't see anything meatlike. Later, I could see they contained baconbits. Some vegetarians
would have discarded the whole thing, I just picked them out and pushed them to the side
of my plate. The soups in the hospital cafeteria are another potential pitfall. It's hard to
tell exactly whats in there! And again, no labels. I think it would be a great service to
vegetarians everywhere if food items were more clearly marked as to their contents.
People with allergies would probably appreciate it too.

Lent

For me it started with Lent. You know, that period of 40 days prior to Easter
where Christians typically "give up" something, or, sometimes take on a new
commitment to prayer or tithing etc. In past years I had given up 1 meal a
day for the season of Lent, eating 2 meals a day instead of 3. This time I
decided to give up meat, meat being chicken, turkey, beef, pork, basically
any meat except fish. In my particular church denomination, Lent only applies to
Monday-Saturday. That is, the weeks after Ash Wednesday prior to Easter,
but not including Sundays. So, for example, if one gives up chocolate for Lent,
they need do so only 6 days of the week, it is allowable to eat chocolate on Sundays.
So, this is how I started. I ate no meat Mon-Sat and on Sunday I would a
hamburger, or chicken wings. Actually this worked very well.
It provided me with a transition period and a chance to get used to my new
"diet". It was also mentally easier I suppose, because I embarked on it all
for only a limited period of time. (For "the rest of your life" is a hard concept
to commit to!). However, after Easter rolled around I had already made up
my mind I would continue. And I have. And no meat on Sundays either!
There are lots of great reasons to eat vegetarian, include health, ethical treatment
of animals, efficient use of farmland etc. But, I think in the end, it is really a
"calling". Perhaps you are being "called" to be vegetarian. Only you can
answer this question. It is a discipline--physical, mental and spiritual.
Think of it as a one-day-at-a-time commitment. It's a good thing.

Why be a vegetarian?

I suppose there are two main reasons people become vegetarians. One
is for overall health. Plenty of reports are available singing the praises
of an all vegetable diet, and the ill-effects of meat, especially red meat.
The other big reason has to do with the ethics of raising animals to
kill them. Especially considering the conditions nowadays of "factory
farms" and the mass production of animals bred only to gain more
and faster profit.
However, noble and true as both of these arguments are (and perfectly
good reasons enough), neither is actually what started me off on this path.
More on that another day.