taking, not giving

Thoughtful eaters will sometimes talk about their gratefulness for animals giving their lives so that we can eat. While I was fishing with a friend the other day, however, I realised how the violent act of eating actually is actually about taking.

After quickly pulling up the line when I felt a hard tug, my first reaction was surprised delight at the sight of a fish. My friend took it from me, snapped the neck and removed the hook. Later, he showed me how to fillet the fish and we ate it for lunch with sweet potato fries, quinoa and broccoli.

As we cut the fish apart, prepared it and then ate it, I was acutely aware that this was a life that I had taken. Even the vegetables were forcefully removed from their sources of life so that I could be nourished. This realisation is both morbid and amazing. I experienced the very thoughts that have been swirling in my mind for the last few months.

To be honest, I'm not fully comfortable with this reality and yet, I exercise it at least three times a day when I eat. Powerful things to ponder.