Language is never fully trustworthy, but when it comes to eating animals, words are as often used to misdirect and camouflage as they are to communicate. Some words, like veal, help us forget what we are actually talking about. Some, like free-range, can mislead those whose consciences seek clarification. Some, like happy, mean the opposite of what they would seem. And some, like natural, mean next to nothing.

I am not sad, he would repeat to himself over and over, I am not sad. As if he might one day convince himself. Or fool himself. Or convince others -- The only thing worse than being sad is for others to know that you are sad.

Why I'm not where you are ...

I don't think that there are any limits to how excellent we could make life seem.

Everything else happened - why not the things that could have?

There were things I wanted to tell him. But I knew they would hurt him. So I buried them, and let them hurt me.

It can be challenge enough to have to eat with myself.