Vegemate?

Since the 8 January I decided to stop eating meat for a while. The decision was taken because something made me feel ‘dirty’ about eating it. I don’t know when the feeling started but it has been festering in my head for many months maybe even years. It was never acted on because I love(d) meat. Nothing tasted so succulent than pork chops or a roast chicken, the saliva just starts pouring from my mouth as the image comes into my head. However, something didn’t seem quite right to me. I wasn’t sure where on earth this meat was coming from. Was it Ted the darling farmer from Somerset who was an 8th generation poultry farmer after his great granddad Frank set up the first chicken farm way back in 1882? Or was it the evil multinationals who forced the farmers to produce more and bigger Chickens, Turkeys, Pigs etc. Thus making them use random chemicals to ensure that they could meet the demand made by the supermarkets. Perhaps it’s somewhere in the middle but the idea that the main seller of meat are from entities that don’t really care what you consume as long as you buy from them made me feel uneasy. So why don’t I just buy organic meat, where the animals run free and eat only organic food and generally have a better quality of life than I do? Good point, and one I was about to undertake until I read an article saying primates biological system aren’t used to consuming flesh. So I thought why don’t I find out for myself and abstain from bacon sandwiches for a while.

After a few cravings for sausages during the start I haven’t lusted for a meat dish at all. Quorn dishes seem to be an able substitute, although I find it odd buying a product that is designed to look like a meat one. For example, instead of beef mince there’s Quorn mince and Chicken Dippers are no more, it’s all about the Quorn Dippers. Yet these dishes have enabled me to stay attached to the main stream meat eating society. And as a result I’m genuinely, physically feeling great (this may not be because I’m not eating meat). What I am experiencing is that while I’m harbouring in food’s purgatory state both sides have frowned upon me. Enthusiastic vegetarians have sent me links to sites that tell you exactly what products contain meat, even its remnants. Certain chocolates cannot be consumed along with mints like Altoids. When I said I wasn’t that much of a non meat eater I was told that I wasn’t a vegetarian. Thing is, I’m not. Meat eaters would salivate at the idea of entrapping me as they do when they see a Sunday roast. I have had numerous questions as to why I decided to not eat meat and explained each time that initially it was because I felt that consuming it was almost like eating a chemically filled pus bag. Yet when challenged about eating organic free rage products I then revert to my tale of how I was going down that path but thought, “hey, fuck it. I might as well see if what it’s like without meat for a while.” They all look at me strangely, but I’m not fighting against them. I just want to see what it’s like and currently it feels good. And I’d never call myself a vegetarian after not eating meet for about a month. I’m just some bod who’s gotten into eating olives and tomatoes quite a lot.


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“Yeah, whatever Tammy I don’t think that’s ever going to happen.”

“Are you going on a cigarette break again?”

“Yes I am, and don’t make it sound like I’m trying to weasel breaks out, I’ve been working 5 hours straight so I deserve a fifteen minute break.”

“You know you’re not allowed to smoke anywhere near the garage premises.”

“I’m not going to. There’s this place I go for a ciggy, it’s quite, well it’s quite amazing. Come have a look.”

“Yeah, but what about the garage who’s going to look after that if someone comes?”

“No one has been out in front since you called me out back to help you check over this stock so are you coming to see or not?”

“Ok, I’ll come but I need to be quick in case anyone else comes.”

Charles realising that the two workers were about to come his way looks around to run somewhere. He could continue running along the pathway but he doesn’t know where it leads to. If he falls over he’ll be heard. No, he can’t do that. Instead he looks for bush with the less prickles in and throws his body into it and waits for them to come.

“It’s just through here Tammy, not far.”

“I don’t want to be too long Yannish.”

“So Yannish is his name and hers Tammy” thinks Charles. He realises that he can’t write anything on his mobile as it’ll illuminate.

“Here it is, don’t you think it’s an amazing place? It’s like a completely different world when you see it. I come here for all my fag breaks, it settles me down and helps me think. There’s no better combination than a cigarette and this patch of grass. Look at the stars above.”

“Yes, yes it looks lovely but this area is far too close to the garage to smoke. I’m going to have to alert Alan about this.”

“What? Come on please don’t do this I love this place. Alan, won’t understand he’ll ban it and then contact head office to get it ringed off or something like that. It’ll be a catastrophe. This area means a lot to me, when I’m stuck with a problem or an issue in my head I come here and sit. Look above you and you can see none of the trees encroach allowing someone to look up at the sky and lets the light come through. I make all my major decisions here, I even come here sometimes when I’m not even working. This place helped me out when I broke up with my girlfriend.”

“You better finish your cigarette instead of chatting because I am still going to tell Alan. It’s too dangerous for you to smoke here.”

“It’s at least fifty metres away from the garage.”

“It’s too close.”

“Look, I tell you what. I’ll quit smoking here. I won’t do that again and I’ll clean up all these butts. You can come and check every now and then just to see if there are any butts around. Please, I don’t want Alan to ban this. You know he will.”

“No. Now I expect you back in ten minutes.”