Flexitarianism

I have to admit it, I'm a bit of a flexitarian, at least in the eyes of the American Dialect Society.You see they've chosen it as their most useful word of the year, describing this eating style which is neither vegetarian nor carniverous. I'm talking here about the part-time vegetarians who are happy to eat meat-free meals as the major part of their diet but at the same time don't have any hang ups about tucking into a juicy steak once in a while or even enjoying a Sunday roast.It reminds me of one of my father's favourite responses when anyone enquired after his well being " I'm OK " he would reply " It's the rest of them ". Well I'm OK too and I would have been OK a lot sooner if it hadn't been for the rest of them.I can resist anything except temptation and if there's no meat in the house I will happily eat vegetables and fresh fruit but when the kids lived at home it was impossible to cook spaghetti bolognese and not sneak a hot mince sandwich on soft white bread. Then there's our friends who periodically would insist on incinerating mountains of carcinogerous animal flesh over hot charcoals - I still can't get the aroma of those boeries out of my nostrils. And of course my wife who would waltz in with a whole leg of lamb on a Friday which she got at a great price, prompting another decadent Sunday lunch of roast lamb studded with garlic slivers and rosemary cooked to a juicy rose colour and by holding back just a little on the portions there would always be some leftover slices, conditioned at room temperature, to slip into a late evening, washing up time, sandwich with just a hint of English mustard and a memory of the day.Oh yes, if it hadn't been for the rest of them I would have been a fully paid up member of Vegetarians Anonymous a long time ago but now it's not necessary, now I don't have to feel guilty about the odd lapses, now there is a place for me in the scheme of things, now I'm proud to be recognised as a Flexitarian.