Contrary to popular belief I am not apart of the cult of vegans who look down upon meat eaters with disdain and judgement.

I remember the very day I became vegan. At first for a few months before i became vegan I was a pescetarian I do not recall why I became pescatarian. It was a year and a half ago. I just decided, pretty randomly, to become vegan. Nothing prompted it, I didn’t watch one of those awful documentaries that expose the meat and dairy industries cruelty against these animals, no one in my family was vegan, I just wanted to see how long I could do it. I’ve tried being vegetarian many times through elementary school but it never lasted, this time I was sure it would last and it did.

I have come into contact with the MOST judgemental people, some of whom were my friends and family who you would think would be the most accepting and supporting, but noOOOOOO they would make snide comments about my lifestyle like “oh what do you eat grass?”, “do you eat steak?” or they would comment that I only eat rabbit food and stick their turkey sandwich in my face. And once again I would have to correct their ignorance, which I have done a hundred times only to be scoffed at for it. It was the same thing over and over again. So I decided to just started keeping it to myself unless it came up in conversation, and save myself?the trouble of being laughed at and ridiculed.

But I am not tragically vegan. I am very much proud of myself for it, not because it is oh so hard to live without meat and dairy products (which it’s not) but because of the numerous animals that won’t be slaughtered on my behalf, because I don’t want to contribute to a newly born calf being ripped from its mother just to be slaughtered and stuck on a plate for someone to eat that night, because I know that one less meat eater contributes to less of an environmental impact, because I consider all animals equal no matter how small and I don’t look at a dog differently than a pig because one doesn’t deserve to be slaughtered over the other because of a “cuteness” factor, and most importantly, because hopefully I can influence someone else maybe not on their choice of diet but how open minded and informed they are on the subject, because I? know?being vegan has affected my health in a positive way and animals are not here for humans to exploit and then kill when there use is over. But I don’t define myself by my veganism although it is an integral part of my life, I l?ove? being a vegan. It’s given me a new perspective on nature and how fragile it is, and that we, as humans have a responsibility to care for it and not take advantage of it.

As I drive up to the gas station of life, me as a hybrid car that releases less toxic chemicals in the air instead of taking liquified old dead animals, instead I drive past smugly. While other gas guzzling cars ridicule me, for being a “different” car i just ask what are you going to do when the earth is depleted of oil in fifty years?