#99 Be Vegetarian for a Week

Will 14 years do?!

People do invariably ask me why I'm veggie when they find out. If I'm perfectly honest it's because, when I was 15 we saw a gruesome video in Home Economics, that was probably made by PETA, or Linda McCartney, that laid bare the way animals are kept and slaughtered for our delectation. Plus, it was what all cool girls in the 4th year were doing.

People always ask me what meaty delight I miss the most and, hand on heart, I can't think of anything. Typical conversation - "Oooh, what about bacon sarnies? You must miss those - I bet the smell gets you!" "Erm, no. The smell of cooking pig flesh actually makes me feel a bit nauesous." "Really? What...really? What about Big Macs then?" "Ok, I'm leaving now. Bye bye."

I genuinely don't understand why people feel the need to cross examine non-meat-eaters about their choice. Is it really so hard to comprehend? The mass consumption of cheap meat is responsible for the clearing of vast swathes of tropical rainforest, probably losing us the opportunities to discover weird and wonderful cures for cancer and the like. Meat is hard for the human body to digest. Advice for avoiding illneses like heart disease and bowel cancer often includes cutting down on red meats. But, I don't want to start sounding as though I'm preaching. I am more than happy to allow those around me to eat what they please. I don't question the motives of meat eaters or try to convert people and do get a little tired of people's curiousity over what I chose to eat. Maybe it makes meaties feel better about their own choices if they can pick holes in mine. I sometimes catch a gleeful look in a critic's eye when they discover that I eat fishy marine type foods (which makes me a pesco vegetarian apparently), like, so what?! Seriously - since when did it have to be all or nothing? (And by the way - I'm not really that bothered if that doesn't make me a 'proper vegetarian'.)

The simple truth is, I never really enjoyed eating meat when I was younger and I don't miss it. Plus, I'm yet to hear a convincing argument for switching back.

I will concede though that the attitudes I've mentioned above are being less common. More and more people tell me that they're eating less meat and enjoy veggie food, which I'm pleased about, when I stop to think about what other people are eating. Which isn't often, except for now.

Ok, I feel happy that I can tick thing #99 off the list, and I'm giving myself a green star!