Happy World Vegetarian Day!

Happy World Vegetarian Day!

This past September I celebrated my 20th year of being a vegetarian. I originally stopped eating meat my senior year of high school after a rather highschoolian emotional response to studying the holocaust and death ethics in school and being motivated to become more of a peace activist. I remember thinking the easiest thing I could do was start with myself in terms of being more peaceful, and honestly, this is no easy task for me, I'm sort of a hot head. Anyway, since September 1988 I haven't had a burger, a fillet-o-fish or any fried chicken. I have eaten soups and stocks that have had meat by products in them but I do my best to try not to, and that is probably less than 20 times over the years. We did have a silly relapse in 1995 or so when the rumor was going around that those delicious tacos from Jack in the Box were made with TVP not meat. I think I had about 10 over that summer, and they were good! But we believed the lie and had to pause when we knew the real deal. 

ANYWAY...

At this point in my life where food and learning about it and appreciating different cultures is a big priority, I am sometimes inclined to let go of my strict vegetarianism in the interest of being able to completely appreciate and understand the foods of the world, but I haven't yet. The main barrier is the texture of the animal muscles, I just can't wrap my head around it. And for me, that's a good thing. I also really hate the waste economy of the mainstream meat and dairy industries and the disgusting hormones they use and we don't even know how those are affecting us (although I think we have a pretty good idea.)

Meanwhile, I don't judge my friends and family who make different choices than me. I know this is what is right for me and I have to trust that they are making choices that they feel are right for them. My dream society is still one of peace and respect and I still think that starts with me. So now I just need to work on being a hot head!