If I Were Banned from Eating Meat Forever, Would I Survive It?
This question has a double-edged answer for me because I think I can survive very well without breaking the law, but on the other hand, the temptation might become too strong and push me out of line.
In the city where I currently reside, I once stayed for a couple of months without eating meat, and I did not really feel the vacuum or the urge to eat meat. The major reason for this was that the market close to my street does not sell meat. The market that sells meat is quite far, and I would have to pay for transportation to get there. Most times, I cook only when I am hungry, so I find it a long and stressful process to pay transport to a distant market just to buy meat. It also consumes time. Instead, I usually walk into the market close to my street, buy fish from the few varieties available, and walk back home to prepare my meal. The only time I find myself in the market where meat is sold is once in a while. So yes, I can actually stay for a long period without eating meat, and I can cope with the urge.
But to stay completely without eating meat? No, I will not be able to resist the urge.
Sometime last week, I came across a photo on Facebook showing dried bush meat with its skin intact. Immediately, my mind traveled back to the days when I was living in the village, where my father set traps on the farm. Sometimes, we would find bush meat caught in the trap, and because we were already on the farm, we would use some parts to cook delicious meals right there while drying other parts to take home for general consumption. Those were, and still are, the sweetest kinds of meat. Bush meat has something special about it!
If you have actually tasted that kind of meat, there is no way you can resist the urge when you come across it again. If such a prohibition were eventually placed on me, I am sure I would end up eating meat secretly. Maybe not as often as I would like, but once in a while, I would find myself in a spot where meat is sold and buy some.
If the restriction were based on certain types of meat, then I could survive the urge, but it would depend on the specific meat involved. I do not usually like chicken or turkey meat, and yes, I can stay without them forever. However, I do not think I can stay without being tempted to taste a pepper soup made with bush meat or goat meat. No way!
I give a lot of applause to people who are vegetarians. I think they have a special grace and unique characteristics on this planet. May I never face an earthly challenge that would force me to abstain completely from eating meat. It would be extremely difficult for me.
Thanks for reading.
This is my entry to Week 197, Edition 02 of the Weekly Featured contest in Hive Learners Community
