Maybe I Should Be a Vegetarian?

I have so many conflicted feelings about eating meat. On the one hand, I hate the thought of animals dying for my food. On the other, I love meat and I do believe that humans were meant to eat it. I have solved this inner conflict for the most part by commiting myself to buying humanely raised meat exclusively. I even joined a meat CSA where all of the meat comes from small, organic farms. I haven't had an issue with any of the meat, in fact it has all been delicious. The only thing I have been having a hard time with is the chicken. You see, it came with its head and feet still on, complete with little eyeballs. Now, I have always said that people shouldn't eat meat if they couldn't witness the slaughter themselves and then turn around and eat the animal killed. I have even witnessed a chicken slaughter in person and ate chicken pot pie for dinner. But every time I think about cooking that bird, every time I pull it out of the freezer and look into its eyes, I am overcome with sadness for the life lost. Some might say it is just a chicken, and to give thanks to the bird and get on with it, but I haven't managed it yet. It keeps getting put right back into the freezer. I am in the midst of the Eat Local Challenge, and am running out of protein so pretty soon I am going to have to suck it up and cook the bird. I guess I have to wait for a day when I am feeling brave!