And yes, we'll be enjoying our Tofurky at Thanksgiving

Last night while eating our dinner of Boca Original Chik'n Nuggets (go ahead, say it with me..."chick nnnn nuggets"...we crack up every time!), it struck me that I really haven't spoken much about my vegetarianism and how I am an absolute FREAK when it comes to sensitivity to animals.

Now watch out...the high horse is saddled-up and ready to be ridden. I feel pretty damn strongly about this topic.

When I first met Mr. Blogger, I could NOT believe my luck in finding a man I not only adored, but who was also a veggie! Well, he does eat fish, which I don't ("nothing with a face or a parent" is my motto), but I could handle that.

Neither of my other husbands were vegetarians. You try eating a half "Meat Lovers" / half veggie pizza. It isn't easy. The meat keeps wanting to move over to your side.

Plus I HATE the smell of meat cooking, so previous hubby #2 had to become very good at barbecuing OUTSIDE...and fast. And then there was the time my half-sister came to visit with her then-husband and daughter and they decided to wake up early and COOK STEAK FOR BREAKFAST. Which they promptly burnt. Which set off my smoke alarm. Which woke me up from a deep sleep. The whole thing was NOT a pretty picture.

I have been an animal-lover and activist for as long as I can remember (and before I knew enough to call it an activist). I remember BEGGING my mother not to wear fur. I must have been no more than five or so, but it just seemed WRONG.

And everyone in my family has learned to say "DON'T LOOK!" or "TURN THE CHANNEL!" if there was a dead animal in the road, or on a TV nature show, or only play-acting in Ol' Yeller. Yes, I know he's just a little doggie actor. But I don't care...he looks like he's been hurt so that's all the same to me. I would FREAK OUT.

I still do. Oh man...please do not ever tell me of the story when your cat/dog/pet iguana had some horrible mishap. Not unless you want to see me run out of the room screaming, "Don'ttellmedon'ttellmedon'ttellme!!!!" I have MB pretty well trained on making sure I don't have to hear or see anything of the sort. I am, yet again, such a pain in the ass to live with. Let me count the ways...

I don't know why I've always had such a strong affinity for animals. I can't explain it. It's as though I FEEL what they feel. Animals can't tell us what's wrong, or if they're in pain, and that just kills me. Mom often tells my I'm very similar to my grandmother or great grandmother in that respect. All of us could always tell what our pets were thinking, feeling, etc. We were more than sympathetic; we were empathetic. I know it sounds like I'm some kind of whack job here, but I've experienced it enough times to know that animals and I (and I mean ALL KINDS of animals) have some sort of bond.

A few years ago I was going through a particularly bad spell with my depression and wouldn't you know, I was watching the news where they proceeded to report on an ANIMAL SHELTER THAT HAD CAUGHT ON FIRE. I can barely even type about it as we speak.

I would literally cry my eyes out for weeks afterwards. It physically hurt to think about it.

But I wasn't always a vegetarian. I used to love turkey on Thanksgiving, and the occasional good burger joint, but about 15 years ago I just suddenly thought, "What am I doing here?".

Talk about a hypocrite. I would quite literally lay my life down for my pets, but it's somehow ok for me to eat the cute little cow or pig? (When I went to see Babe, I went through a BOX of tissues...I was forewarned and forearmed, but I don't know what I was thinking even going to see that movie!)

So I just stopped eating meat of any kind. The next day. Cold turkey (if you'll pardon the expression).

No chicken, no turkey, no pork, no red meat...no nothing. It took about another two years before I stopped fish, which really I only ate tuna salad 'cause I was never that big a fish fan to begin with. And even that ended because this time my internal dialogue asked, "So what makes you think a fish is any less valuable than other beings?" That was the end of that.

People love to challenge me when they hear I'm a vegetarian and ask why I still eat dairy if that also came from a cow. Well, I never said I was a vegan. (They ask lots and lots of other stupid questions as well and love to make jokes about how plants have feelings too...you learn to tune it out.)

But it amazes me to see how often I'll sit down to eat at some group event, and people feel they have the right to interrogate me. (By the way, my friends don't do this...just random idiots.) I have always been very careful not to make others feel uncomfortable around me, and I never spout off on the virtues of being a veggie. I was never that militant...it was a decision I MADE. And the right one for me. I realize that not everyone feels the same. I force it on no one.

But whenever you're different, or have something that makes you stand out, the general public just has a problem with that, I guess. I have NO OTHER vegetarians in my family and I can only think of one friend who is. And MB is the first man I ever even dated that was. I have never expected everyone to follow my lead. I'm realistic enough to know it won't happen unless the person chooses it for their own reasons.

But in the meantime I can't tell you how wonderful it is to have my freezer packed with Boca products, knowing that I have a husband who will actually join me in eating them! I don't have to make two separate dinners, and I only ever have to complain over the occasional smell of a salmon steak. (But since we got the new barbecue, even that's not much of a problem anymore.)

Mom still teases me over my Tuno sandwiches, and that's perfectly ok. Even I realize it sounds pretty funny.

But I feel good about the choice I've made. It feels right and in synch with my love for "all creatures great and small". I wouldn't have it any other way.