Eating weeds

I joke about being a vegetarian, but, in fact, I do eat grasses, grains, and leaves. Yesterday several of you ask me to 'splain myself' about this lifestyle choice. Neither Terri nor I have eaten land animals for more than a quarter century, and we stopped eating things that swim nearly a decade ago. Our choice wasn't a quick one. When we were in our twenties and before children (is that what BC means?), we both qualified as diehard fast food junkies. My favorite was a deep fried taco at Jack in the Box, ahead, only slightly, to a Carl's Jr. with all the toppings, extra mayo and pickles, please. Oh, and fries on the side. The food was fast, tasty and I was in a hurry, definitely not in tune with my body. I smoked cigarettes, and pot, and when life wasn't going fast enough, I swallowed little white pills called bennies. No, definitely not in tune with myself. But then the thirties approached and I began to change. Three deep fried tacos and a large Coke didn't sit as well as they used to and I began noticing a correlation between my eating habits and how I felt. Terri and I were unusual fast food junkies because we both liked salads; common for kids raised in California, where salads accompanied meals. And salads were fast, often faster than leaving home to drive through McDonalds, so we ate them. This change from 100% junk food to occasional real food had a noticeable effect on me. I felt better on days with salads and it slowly occurred to me there might be a cause and effect relationship between what I put in my body and how I felt. This was new territory, uncharted waters, daring thoughts, and I began experimenting after the fire in my car. Anyone eating food served through the driver side window is in a hurry, and I was in a big one. The problem with mobile dining rooms is trash, and my most convenient receptacle was the passenger side floor. Transporting trash and smoking cigarettes in confined spaces is not a good idea. The glowing remains of my inhaled desert lit the passenger side trash on fire and nearly caused me to get in an accident. The fire, plus a new phrase I had heard, you are what you eat, were the pivot points in my carnivorous life. The journey continues tomorrow.