For a couple years, now, I have always felt badly about eating animals that were once alive. I was about six-years-old when I took my first trip down to a farm. I remember looking at all of the animals, chasing them, and feeding them. I remember holding the baby chicks and piglets, and asking my parents if I could bring them home. They were so small and helpless that I wanted to keep them so I would be able to watch over them. However, my parents made me realize that they were happy in their own farm, and that they would be suffering if I kept them in my tiny room. I thought they would be safe forever if they lived on the farm.
As soon as I heard a large pig cry, I was panicking because it was bleeding profusely. I cried, because I wasn’t sure what was happening. Eventually, my parents explained to me that because the pig was “big enough” it was ready to be killed so that it can be eaten by others. I was extremely heartbroken because I was not able to do anything for the poor pig. As the years passed, I continued to eat meat, simply because all my parents ever cooked was meat and because they always made the meat dishes very tasty. However, I always ate my chicken legs and ribs in silence -- never proud about eating them.
As I became older, I began watching videos that showed the cruel, dark side of the meat industry. I was horrified by the way the animals were crowded into tight spaces, and by the way they were electrocuted once they were ready to be slaughtered. Now, that I am much older, I am able to cook my own food and decide what lifestyle I should assume. I recently chose to not eat animals or any byproducts that come from animals, because I can pay for my own meals and make my own choices.
I now do not support the exploitation of animals; they do not deserve to live happily for most of their lives just so that they can experience pain and suffering for the remainder of their lives. No feather coat is worth the life of a thriving and healthy bird -- a bird whose existence makes the world more beautiful and unique. I felt in control of my life, because I chose to control what I ate and what I wore.
Saying no to eating certain foods, or wearing certain clothes, has made me more autonomous. I feel confident, because I know I am choosing to live a lifestyle that supports peace. Because I had to gain my protein from other protein-rich foods, besides meat, I started eating more vegetables and fruits. After just one week of eating mostly raw foods, I have become more energetic and more happy than when I mostly ate meat in my meals.
I also started being mindful of the list of ingredients on the food labels, and I saw that a lot of foods I ate contained many ingredients that do not sound healthy simply because I found pronouncing a lot of those words to be impossible. I can now say that my empathy for some of the animals that are bound to be slaughtered is genuine. I no longer can think of myself as a hypocrite when I say I feel bad for a chicken that I just ate. I can say that I do not support the exploitation and abuse of animals, and the sound of saying that never felt, or tasted better.
