in which I try to explain the only offensive t-shirt I own

Once upon a time I learned about a blog called dooce.com I went to said blog and found the funniest T-shirt it think I have ever seen.  It looks like this: 

The above t-shirt was so funny that I sent the link to Jeff and he bought one for me.  It was all a silly joke, made even funnier by the fact that I have contemplated becoming vegetarian several times.   Then, I wore it in public.  I wore it to the SLC Jazz festival and felt quite scandalous (in a BYU grad, totally naive Mormon girl I'm-wearing-something-that-might-make waves-yay!) kind of way.  Well, I got several laughs, but it looked like people just thought it was as funny as I did.   I then forgot all about it, it soon became that t-shirt that was pink with red letters.  Then I wore it to the Salt City Sprints and all my bike riding, totally vegetarian friends said things like: "Man, Amy, if we weren't friends...."  Yikes, I never intended to offend anyone, especially not those who have deep convictions about not eating meat.  

Well today I wore it on a bike ride with Jeff and my friend Bonnie to Liberty Park.  For those of you who haven't been to Liberty Park on a Sunday.  I implore you, go.  Block out an afternoon, take your camera, and behold the wonders that is the park on a Sunday.  Oh, the fashion, the wit, the drama.  It's like Cats but less creepy and the performers may or may not be more intoxicated and definitely wearing more tie-dyed items.   Again, wrong day to wear the "Please read the words on my chest" shirt.  Bonnie, Jeff and I were just watching the drum circle and a very agile dancing man with a very long beard (that man had some great moves even if it was chiva-assisted) when a man walked up to me and said "excuse me, I was a chef for over 25 years and stopped eating meat because of what they did to the animals and now I would like to ask you, what do you think meat really tastes like?  With out the spices or anything?"  

Well, what do you say to that?  I explained to him that the shirt was just a joke and that I meant no offense but he insisted I answer the question.  What does anything taste like without spices?  I said I wasn't sure, and he looked at me triumphantly and said: 

"It tastes sour"  and walked off, glancing back periodically to see if the full weight of his words had hit me yet. 

Well, I'm not sure what that meant, but note to self, save the shirt for housework and people who already know me.