Don’t Ask Me to Give Up My Bacon!

I have tried to give up meat a few times, especially as some of our kids are vegan or vegetarians, and they recommend it. But it doesn’t seem like it’s a meal without meat. I tried the Burger King Impossible Burger to reduce my meat intake, but it was like eating wood to me! I hated it! I nearly needed two Big Macs to mediate the disappointment. When I want plants, I will have a salad or cook some collards.

When I was a child, my mother did not cook except for Sundays. My sister and I lived on sandwiches, just meat and bread, unable to afford lettuce and tomatoes. If money became a problem, we didn’t have meat, so I made mayonnaise sandwiches or sugar sandwiches. Having meat in a home meant to me a father in the house to help provide food for everyone. One of my fondest memories after I started working at a good job was knowing that my children would have meat at every meal! I was proud that I could give my kids what I missed.

I couldn’t imagine a life without pork chops, chicken, steak, and ham. Holidays wouldn’t be the same. I can remember having ham on Thanksgiving and Christmas, if not on any other days. I added turkey to holidays for my kids and me. One meat I did give up from my childhood celebrations was chitterlings. I didn’t foist that mess on my children, but all other meat was fair game (no pun intended, as I have not eaten venison). My favorite meat is bacon, and I can eat bacon morning, noon, and night, and still get up through the night and have a bacon sandwich and feel that all is right with the world.

I have all the respect in the world for people who choose not to eat meat, and I love the ones in my family who have made that choice. It makes eating out with them an adventure trying to find restaurants to accommodate their meatless decisions, although more places are doing so, like Mellow Mushroom. We must respect each other’s choices, but at age 72, don’t even think about asking me to give up my bacon! Ain’t gonna happen!