Seems like slowly I am becoming a regular of Galen's Weekend Engagement initiative. Sometimes it's fun to write about a topic that someone else has come up with. Many communities are giving weekly topics to their members, which is good if you have no idea what to write about, but it can also become pressuring or annoying. I could not do it long term, that is certain. What I like about Galen's Weekend Engagement topics is that he always has four or five, so there's always a chance I find one that suits me.
This week he most likely has been taking some brain stimulants as most of the topics are suitable for me 😂 (no offense meant here, I hope he won't notice this 🙈 and I can get away with it, otherwise I will be in deep ... something).
Photo by Kenneth Schipper Vera on Unsplash
So this week we have five topics to write about, you can check them out here. These are the ones that are tempting to me:
So after some thinking, I decided to go with this:
Meet the meat
If a law was passed that people had to kill and process their own meat for consumption (or not be able to eat it at all), would you do it or simply stop eating meat? (I mean animals, including fish). Explain your answer in at least 300 words and use images you took yourself if possible. source
This is the topic I'm going to write about today and try to explain how things stand in this area.
Let's start with my preferences first, in order to understand what and why. I'm not vegetarian or vegan. I eat meat, but not everything. My favorite is chicken and that's what I'm usually cooking. I also eat pork, but rarely cook it myself. The situation is the same with beef and fish, I'm not saying no to them if the dish is in front of me but you won't see me cooking beef, or fish.
My grandparents always had pigs and chickens, like people usually living in the village. Back in those days this was a must if you did not want to starve on the government rationed food portions. It was a good thing if you had a possibility to do it. This means I have seen them killing and processing pork and chicken all the time.
I took this photo in February at a photo exhibition and did not post it for a good reason. Now that the topic is this, here it is. This scene is not unknown to me, have seen it several times and I can tell you a few things about it. For example, the old man did a very nice job cleaning the pig, before processing it, so whoever he is, congrats on that. You can start processing the pig as he did, starting from the belly or cut it along the spine. Either way, there's a process to follow, an order in which you take out certain parts. It's not an easy job to do, needs practice, but can be learnt for sure.
Would I do it? Most likely not. Processing the meat is something I can do as I often buy whole chicken and process it myself at home. Pork would be a bigger and more complicated job, but can be done. My problem is killing the animal and it's a huge one. I admit, I'm a coward when it comes to killing animals and would most likely not do it. This is why I will never have livestock. Maybe I could compromise as right now I think I could kill a fish but can't guarantee that I would be brave enough when the time comes.
Photo by Kenneth Schipper Vera on Unsplash
Most likely I would go vegetarian, or bribe someone to do it for me, if the punishment for doing so would not be severe.
The truth is, you never know how you're going to act, till you're in that particular situation. I'm not addicted to meat, can live without meat if the situation asks for it, but again, maybe at some point I would put away my fear or pity and would do it. Good thing I don't have to now.
If you're a newbie, you may want to check out these guides:
