As I embark into the second week of trying the pescitarian diet, I can't help but think back to how I got here. The first few days were a bit of a struggle in resisting meat when my meal plan constantly surrounded me with it. I slowly learned how to avoid the temptations by only eating at meal time instead of snacking throughout the day. Later in the week I had in a way surprised myself by being more at ease with the diet. After sharing with Alberta our Easter weekend stories, it seemed that we both had similar experiences.
Nothing much happened Saturday, as I stuck with cereal for breakfast and some leftover fish for lunch. For dinner my mom didn't feel like cooking so Pizza Hut was on the menu. While my dad and brother joked at my misfortune for not being able to eat meat they seemed to be rather fine with the idea. They ordered the supreme while my mom and I shared a Greek pizza. Sunday on the other hand posed a bit of a threat, but I'm glad to say crisis averted and no meat was consumed.
On Easter my cousins and grandparents always come over, each bringing a different plate of food to share. After church we sat down for a late brunch including ham, peas, green beans, twice backed potatoes, a salad, and bread rolls... the ham obviously being the main attraction. It was a cornucopia of smells and flavors that I fully engaged in, trying all of which minus the ham of course.
In a way, I almost felt like a burden on my family in some cases. For instance when it comes to pizza, both of my parents generally go with the supreme. I can't recall many times when they ordered anything besides that. For those who live by a vegetarian diet, instances such as this must occur frequently.
On the drive home, while flipping through the radio, something on NPR grabbed my attention (shocking because I don't ever listen to that station). A man being interviewed was a vegetarian, and he was discussing his travels overseas and the difficulty of maintaining his diet while on his trip. On his expedition he encountered cultures that ate bugs and insects, amongst other crawling creatures they deemed "meat." Sharing meals with families, he came to the self understanding that it would be impolite to dispel the food and their sources of meat offered to him. His vegetarian ways, on a larger scale, did not mean he had to abstain from eating meat when he was a guest in someones home.
When accustomed to living away from home for a long time may sometimes make one feel like a guest in your own house, I in no way took this advice. Despite not being back all the time, college is not my true home, and I can still obey my dietary structure even back with my family. Traveling would be a different story, as for the man on the radio for example. His tale made me realize that it is not always what you eat that determines your eco-consciousness, but it is your attitude to the matter.
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