One of my prime unacknowledged concerns on changing to a whole-foods, plant-based diet, was actually lack of fellowship. A fear of being left out. There is a fellowship in sharing food. I stopped looking forward to potlucks: I was afraid of being tempted to eat non-healthy food, concerned about having to pick through food to see if it contained meat, and no telling about dairy foods. Worried about having to defend my newly-discovered truth.
An image occurs from potlucks at Neah Bay, at the United Spiritual Gathering Councilfire: people picking at food, "does this have meat in it?" I thought vegetarians must be the ultimate Picky Eaters. When I was growing up, we were encouraged to eat whatever my mother made, to accept anything from tripe to fried smelt, even during the period my mom decided fish don't need to be cleaned. [Darn good thing my mom could cook, most of the time.]
Now I've separated myself from the vast majority of humankind, not by something such as language or race or hair color that I can't help, but by something I had the audacity to choose: diet. I think anticipation of this was one reason I resisted becoming vegetarian for so long.
Pearl and I decided to have a barbecue today, so we went to the store and stocked up, mostly on vegetables, and fired up the barbecue. My favorite fire-starters made from an egg carton filled with sawdust and then melted parafin, are in Eatonville, but we got by. I started the coals, put on water for corn and made coleslaw with red cabbage, carrots, onion, shredded turmeric root, the juice from a small lemon, coriander, and vegenaise.
We had a huge tray of prepared fruit which Pearl swears she will finish, sliced up an English cucumber and a tomato, got out the whole wheat buns, and she threw on her meat burger. I decided to try grilling a large Portobello mushroom, and I wasn't disappointed. I had to change my shirt, it was so juicy. Ample food, a stunning view of Mount Rainier from our deck, which is shaded in the afternoon, mutual respect for our different diets, and plenty of fellowship.
Happy Independence Day.
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3 comments:
I know it may feel like you're alone with the food thing, but there is a sea change happening! We have been making a film about the problems with our animal based diet, and I think it may be just up your street. Would be interested to see what you think of our trailer, show it to your friends and you may find you're not the only one with your attitude to food!
The trailer is at www.planeatthemovie.com! and sign up for the film there too. Enjoy!
If you've followed my blog since April, you can see the changes I've come through and my motivation, which is health, and my resource, which was The China Study by T.Colin Campbell. I'd love to look at the film trailer! Oops, must leave for work.
Thanks for the encouragement!
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