“So, why are you a vegetarian then?” Umm….
(Picture from here.)
I try my very best to hide the fact that I am a vegetarian. I really like it when people don’t notice. In fact, if I am invited to someone’s house, I always debate whether or not to tell them that I am a vegetarian, as I am perfectly fine eating side dishes, and I don’t want them to go to extra trouble to make me some special vegetarian dish. I appreciate the effort, but it’s really not necessary.
People pop the vegetarian question all the time. The list goes a little something like this:
“You’re a vegetarian?!”
“Do you eat chicken?”
“…but you eat fish right?!” (I didn’t even eat fish when I wasn’t a vegetarian. It’s really good for you, but I just can’t handle the seafood taste.)
“How long have you been a vegetarian?”
“…wow. Do you ever miss meat?”
“How do you NOT eat meat?!?! It’s so good!”
“I can’t eat all of this, do you want some?” [Meat dish is waved in front of me] “Oh, wait! *gasp* Sorrry!!!” (It always cracks me up when that happens, as if I’m offended. I really don’t mind.)
“You know the Bible says we’re supposed to eat meat, right?” (Oh, really?)
“Are you a member of PETA?” (NO.)
“Where do you want to eat? I know a good steakhouse! Oh, wait. [A horrified look comes over their face, as if they just killed my best friend.] Sorry!!!” (lol. I actually like steakhouses, guys. They typically have good side dishes.)
I don’t have a problem with other people eating meat, I just don’t like it. I got the “why are you a vegetarian?” question a lot over the summer, and I think I gave a different answer every time. Thinking about it further, I think I became a vegetarian after I started cooking meat. There’s just something about dealing with the raw version that makes me loose my appetite.
As I was de-boning a pork loin for a dinner I was preparing the other night, I remembered that was probably the main reason that I became and remained a vegetarian. After preparing meat myself, I just can’t look at cooked meat without thinking of the raw version.
No, I’m not a tree-hugging, animal-rights-activist, omnivore-judging vegetarian. You can eat all the meat you want. I don’t have a problem with it.
Could you pass the peas, please?
