And now, the end is near

Well, Sunday is Easter. And that marks the end of my pseudo-Lenten fast. Meat will be back on the plate. Yeah, if anyone was thinking I was going to have some sort of vegetarian awakening . . . no. Just no. But I did learn a few things.

One is that it would be possible for me to be a vegetarian. If something made it necessary, I could do it. Not happily, but it would be within my power. I was able to manage all the protein, vitamin and mineral concerns in the short-term. And I think I could manage in the long-term. I think I’ll come out of this more convinced of going the flexiterian direction. Not eliminating meat entirely; just moving it from the base of my diet towards the pointy end of the pyramid.

Another realization that I came to was that vegetarianism is a pain in the ass. I knew this vaguely before. But now I have a full comprehension of the amount of thought that has to go into everything you buy, order and put in your mouth. All respect to the Veggies. Actually, the fact that I am a meat eater made it easier. I was always conscious of what I wasn’t having, so I never really had the opportunity to lapse. A friend who joined me on the no-face-food cruise, who is only a reluctant meat eater, had an easier time of it, but goofed more than I did. She actually had a fish sandwich in her hand before she remembered. For me, it was more of a case of scanning every thing I bought, checking to see if the vegetable soup was made with beef broth, or the salad had bacon bits. I really don’t want to think about what I eat to that extent.

And I think that this year has confirmed that the practice of giving something up for a stretch is good for me. (And bless the Catholics for having a pre-fab holiday that I can glom onto.) I spend too much of my life thoughtless. My Lent adventures really pop me out of that and make me consider my life in different ways. Things tend to echo in vast open spaces. I need to take the time to make room in my life for those echoes.

No, I won’t be going off the deep end on Sunday. I haven’t ordered a side of beef or anything. (Though the thought does have its appeal.) I’ve been warned that I need to take it easy. Stomach issues, you know. But if you were wondering, yes, this Sunday, there will be blood. (Oh, that was a bit gruesome. Pardon. My fangs were showing.)