I’ve never realized that amount of confusion people feel after you tell them you are a vegetarian. There are many questions that are asked. Some include ignorance while others truly want to be informed.
“Why do you do it?’
I’ve been vegetarian for about six months now and I can honestly say I’ve been so happy about my choice. At first I was doing it for health reasons. After a scary run in with some heart issues, my doctor informed me to cut a few unhealthy eating habits from my life. When I did cut out those unhealthy eating habits, I looked into a different lifestyle altogether. I chose vegetarianism not only for my own personal health but because I want to be an advocate for the voiceless. In this case, it is the animals that don’t have a say. Many people criticize this lifestyle because eating animals is a way of life. I agree, we have been doing it for years, and I don’t judge others for doing so but you would think in the year 2016 we would have more ethical ways of harvesting meat.
“Are you a huge animal fan?”
I am indeed a huge animal fan. It doesn’t matter what type of animal, they all mean the world to me. I personally don’t feel that it is right to kill animals such as cows and pigs for food while we envision other animals as pets. I won’t go into extreme detail about my beliefs because it wouldn’t get us anywhere. The point of my vegetarianism is that I love and respect the earth and all that comes with it. For me, animals play a huge part in that and I just don’t feel like an ethical person knowing where certain meat comes from. You don’t have to love animals to understand that there are certain ways of harvesting meat that is extremely unethical.
“What about fish?”
I don’t eat fish. I’ve never actually enjoyed seafood so giving it up wasn’t too hard. I don’t judge vegetarians that eat fish because it is a great source of vitamins and protein. There is an argument that fish do not suffer as much as mammals do. I personally believe this is false. As living creatures I’m sure they feel just as much as other animals. My compassion for animals goes beyond just cows and chickens, but to all types of animals that do not have a voice. I could not personally feel morally right choosing one over the other.
“So is there anything you can eat?”
There is plenty of food I can eat! What I love most about being a vegetarian is that it almost forces me to go above and beyond to find new and creative recipes. I learned what my body needs and what my taste buds like. I’ve been more confident about trying new foods that I never would have otherwise. Restaurants can sometimes be a bit more difficult but at the end of the day, it gives me an excuse to eat more French fries!
Going Vegetarian has a lot of unexpected perks but also has a few downfalls. As much as humans have progressed, vegetarianism and veganism still gets a terrible reputation. Those who support this lifestyle are looked at as dirty hippies who want to boycott meat farms while screaming in faces about the death of animals. In a way I blame media but also ignorance. There may be people like those mentioned above, but the vegetarians I have met are people who just want to change themselves. They’ve chosen a lifestyle that suits them and benefits the earth even in a small way.
Before you judge a person based on what they put or do not put in their mouths, just take a minute to realize there is a lot more to it than meets the eye. For me, it started out for my health and slowly worked its way into something more. I don’t judge those who do eat meat, so please don’t judge me because I don’t.
