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Originally, I suggested vegetarianism. Karen pointed out that we have both wanted to add more fish into our diet, and this would be the perfect opportunity. We agreed to approach it gently. We’d go one week. We bought a nice salmon filet for Monday night. Since fish doesn’t keep, and we’re trying to avoid the grocery store, we planned on going with tuna later in the week. With bread and eggs and cheese still on the table, even a hearty eater like me should be okay.
I expected it wouldn’t prove too difficult. Both Karen and I hoped we might drop a few pounds. I knew it would make my youngest sister, a die-hard veg, happy. I already had it in my head it could lead to a blog post (two essays a week isn’t that easy!).
It has played out just about like I thought. Staying away from meat was easy. (Way easier than Dry January!) I always have the same breakfast when I play golf anyway—a yogurt, a banana, a pack of cheese crackers or a granola bar, and one or two cuties. My customary beer (drinking in the parking lot, social distancing) after the round has no meat. I can make a mean grilled cheese for lunch. (My granddaughters even ask me to.) And our dinners, mostly engineered by Karen, were as delicious as pre-pesca. And as of today, I lost one pound.
The biggest benefit of doing something like this is spiritual. If you read my blog, you can tell I do a lot of the same things every day. That’s not a bad thing—it’s a blessing of retirement. But I have to remember that change is good. If you’re not changing, you’re not growing. Routine is an enemy—it lures us into complacency. And I’m pretty sure less meat in our diets would have a beneficial effect on our planet.
So what about tomorrow? I’m thinking about two of those frozen White Castle sliders for lunch. Karen and I are both way too conservative to waste food that we’ve already bought. But I’m also going to carry an awareness that what I want and what I need are frequently not the same thing. It’s not a bad thing to lean to the side of need. Most of all, I want to keep changing things up. Life isn’t meant to be a routine—following God never is.
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