I used to be a vegetarian back in the day (lacto-ovo, couldn't give up the eggs). I lasted about 8 years and then went back to eating animal protein. I don't eat as much today as I did back then (can't digest big quantities anymore), but I think of indigenous people, especially in the US, who ate animals, like the buffalo and the deer and, I'm sure, other species. But they respected these animals and had some kind of ritual where they thanked the animal for giving up its life so that it could sustain them. They didn't, for example, kill for sport, only to sustain the community.

I try to remember to say a prayer of thanks before every meal whether it includes meat or not. I don't always remember unfortunately, but it's a practice I really need to keep.

Your pieces are always thought-provoking. I have a draft waiting for me to write on a similar subject. I'll try to get it out this coming week.