Every Day Anew

I've been a vegetarian on and off since 6th grade when I first learned about what it was to be a vegetarian from my new friend from Cleveland. When I first tried it, it sounded exotic and it was a way to be different and to express something new than how my family had been eating. After a week of making spaghetti with tofu and Ragu sauce, I caved and went back to being a carnivore. In that week that I learned so much (and had lots more to learn, like how to properly prepare tofu, which didn't happen until in my 30's, but no matter...). I learned how not to be a vegetarian, I learned how to articulate a voice contrary to what my family was doing, and I learned how to cook (if boiling water and heating jarred sauce counts...but at least it was a step in the right directing). But somewhere a seed was planted and it was one that I revisited later in life to explore keeping kosher and to live a more healthy life. Through being a vegetarian, I learned the yogic principle of tapas, discipline. I've been a practicing vegetarian for 7 years now, until tonight. I was sitting down at Thanksgiving dinner with a bunch of meat-eaters (some who have also been vegetarian) and I began to wonder what was the point. Was I a vegetarian to prove something to myself or the world and how much of my yogic identity was wrapped up in the idea of not eating meat. What if the meat was local but the kale was shipped in from California? Which would be more harmful? Essentially the decision boils down to an issue of paradigm. When does a belief system become a samskara or habitual pattern that limits a process of inquiry? When do patterns that are healthful become ruts that are guised in diligent and serious practice? And when does what was designed to create more freedom build more walls. And hence, I realized, I wasn't allowing myself to taste all life has to offer and so begins the idea of Ever Day Anew. Every day I will do something new and write about it with the idea of creating a more expansive and limitless life from this day until my birthday, February 15th.