I've done it before...

For the last two or three years, I’ve struggled with the idea of becoming a vegetarian. And I don’t really know why.

I don’t think there is anything wrong with eating meat. It’s natural. It’s part of the cycle of life. There are countless carnivorous animals in nature.

Yet, I can’t help but feel a tinge of guilt when I consume flesh. Okay, maybe it’s more than just a tinge.

But then I ask myself, is it really any different to eat plants? Plants are living, growing creatures of the universe. If plants had mouths, they too would scream when being harvested. Is it really any different?

And then, at some level, we must realize that death is necessary in the planet’s cycle of life. It renews and restores the planet and allows for the beautiful world in which we all live. Without death, life would be a living hell.

Death is natural, but the way in which today’s livestock are put to death is not. Perhaps I would feel differently if I hunted for my food. But the images of cows being corralled into slaughterhouses haunt me.

The decision to be (or not to be) a vegetarian is a personal dilemma for me. I love meat. And having a high-protein, meat-free diet would be a challenge with my active summer lifestyle.

Perhaps it is time for me to test the waters of vegetarianism in stages. Last year, I experimented by giving up red meat. It was a resolution that was easy to keep until I attended a July 4th BBQ. I think it’s time to revive my resolution and give up red meat for a month.

If it feels good, I’ll continue. If giving up poultry feels like a good second step, then maybe I’ll go there. We’ll see. I really hate touching raw poultry anyway.