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Nearly vegetarian

As the title notes, I am not a vegetarian, but I'm close. What's "close"? Anywhere from once a week to once every few months I eat a small amount of fish. The rest of the time it's the usual vegetables, fruits, beans, grains, dairy and nuts.

While that technically makes me a so-called "pesco-vegetarian" or just "pescatarian", I don't tell people that. I commit a what is considered to be a sin in vegetarianism, or at least heresy: I tell people I'm a vegetarian. Real vegetarians hate when fish-eaters do that. Why? Because it makes people think vegetarians eat fish.

Why is that a problem, you say? Pretend Joe Vegetarian goes into a resturaunt (or calls ahead) and asks if they have vegetarian meals, to which the hostess responds "Sure do!" Joe then discovers that every one of the "vegetarian meals" on the menu contains half a salmon and three baked clams. Joe is then understandable upset and has a minor veggie-fit right there in the restaurant.

So, knowing the problem, why do I contribute to it by saying I'm a vegetarian?

I don't, I sidestep the whole problem by not eating "restaurant fish". By "restaurant fish" I mean any fish dish prepared in any restaurant (with one exception). This way I don't contribute to the misconception, and besides, restaurant fish is more than likely cooked right in the grease from the steak cooked earlier anyway.

Those with eagle-eyes might have noticed that I said a parenthetical (with one exception). The one exception is also the only fish I eat: sushi. However, I don't tell the sushi bar staff I'm a vegetarian, so that's not a problem either.

Why not just tell people I'm a "pesco-vegetarian"? Because they don't know what that is, and I really don't eat enough fish to justify the label. If I did call myself that (and then explained it to everyone) people would think I eat it everyday as a kind of "meat substitute", which I don't.

So I'll just say I'm a vegetarian and eat my sushi in private company when the desire hits me. 100% vegetarians will just have to forgive this 99% veggie guy.




2005-5-23