Not many people know this, but I was a vegetarian for 21 years! 2 years before I was born my parents who were then non-vegetarians decided to give up meat (including fish and seafood) for lifestyle purposes. So, by default, I was born into a vegetarian (not vegan) family.

Once I was a little older and able to notice my dietary difference, I did not have a desire to try meat nor did my parents hold me back from trying it. I was given the freedom to choose and I chose to remain a vegetarian until my last year at university.

My flat mate cooked a sweet and sour chicken one day and asked me if I wanted to try some. We had been talking, for a while, about meat and my choice to remain vegetarian. I always knew I had a choice and would know when the time was right. And on that fateful day, in that moment, my answer to him was a resounding yes!

The crossover

It was delicious. Here I was trying something which until then was alien to me and I enjoyed it! My other flat mates watched me intensely in case I had an adverse reaction. But I had none. My gut went from processing only vegetarian food to meat quite naturally.

My flat mate’s brother, who was studying to be a doctor then, was on the phone with me to check if I was feeling ok. I was thrilled with all the attention. This was a pivotal event!

But it did change my life!

It opened up a whole new world. To all the vegetarian and vegan warriors out there, hear me out before you judge me.

Back then, late 80s, it was not easy to get vegetarian food when you went out. I studied in England which was ‘relatively’ open to vegetarians. You could always get an egg sandwich or a vegetarian curry though there is only so much of this one can eat.

But cross the channel to the continent and mention being a vegetarian, what I got was blank stares and some lettuce leaves with cucumber and tomatoes (salad) for a meal. They tried but they did not have the options or exposure to much other than salad. I was disheartened but appreciative of their effort.

The western nations at that time had not caught onto vegetarianism. I truly felt like an alien wherever I went (this on top of being a foreigner).

But once I crossed over, it was like entering a new world. The restaurants that I tended to avoid became options in my growing list of restaurants I could go to. To correct myself, I did go to these restaurants with my friends but had a limited menu (salads usually) to choose from.

The social dynamics improved too. My group of friends did not have to think twice anymore about the vegetarian options before trying a new restaurant. Though I always said it did not matter, getting together was more important, there was always a concern when deciding. There was an ‘unspoken stress’.

Food does bring people together

I graduated soon after and accepted various jobs that would have me travel the world and my experiences were so vast and varied. Part of this experience was the food culture I experienced in every country.

In any new country I visited, the way I was usually welcomed was to try the local cuisine. From the steak on the barbeque in Australia to the Tapas in Spain and the Carpaccio in Italy and pig ears in Portugal, they were amazing.

The food and the associated customs exposed me to more than just the food. It stretched my thinking and appreciation for cultural differences and norms, long before diversity and inclusion was a stated goal within organisations.

Food is a bridge to the unknown and diminisher of prejudice.

Trust, respect and, meeting half-way

I experienced many pivotal moments throughout my life especially when immersing myself in new cultures. The core of me never changed. I was still anchored by my values and my multi-cultural upbringing to know right from wrong. But each moment and nuance helped me establish trust and respect without crossing lines wherever I went.

Would I have experienced all this had I still been vegetarian? Probably yes, but not to the extent as I would have, especially in some cultures. But knowing me, I would have worked hard to find ways to meet them half-way. Food is one component of culture but an important one.

The world is different today. With veganism and vegetarianism growing in popularity, meat seems to be increasingly the new alien as wellness and climate change take centre stage.

Pivotal moments

My purpose for writing this article is not about the food we eat but about the pivotal moments we have every day through various interactions we have that help us grow, build trust, gain insight into ourselves and others.

You don’t need pivotal events to have pivotal moments. Pivotal moments happen every day. They are inflection points. A gentle trigger - a silent realisation after reading a book, an inner knowing from a phrase in a movie, a memory that makes you stop and think, a gentle nudge that tells you it’s time to act.

These are your pivotal moments. Listen to its message. It may help you make the difference you always wanted to make.

The choice on how you navigate your future is yours!

I am here to help.

ps Meat will be on my menu for the foreseeable future. I believe I still have some carbon credit.