No Meat for Me

I have been a vegetarian since the beginning of my freshman year of high school.  Now, a lot of people generally ask me why I decided that, or how I can live without eating meat.  So, here's the best explanation I can give for my thoughts about being a vegetarian.  


So, to start, I can say that I have always had a problem with eating meat.  I remember pretty clearly bursting out into tears in the middle of the grocery store because I realized that lamb meant actual baby sheep.  I always wondered why something had to die just so I could eat.  


Then during the summer before my freshman year I was talking to my parents at dinner one day and I mentioned that I planned on being a vegetarian when I was cooking for myself.  My dad said that as long as I  made sure to still eat healthy there was no problem with me being a vegetarian now.  And so from that point on I haven't really eaten meat.  I'm not perfect with it, but in general I try not to eat any meat/fish.  Generally my family eats normal meals, with meat and I just eat everything else, or occasionally cook something else.  We generally eat a couple of completely vegetarian meals pretty regularly.  


My logic is pretty simple really.  I just am not comfortable with eating something that was killed for my benefit.  Now, I'm not saying that I think everyone should be a vegetarian.  I understand that as human beings we have a biological compulsion to eat meat.  I know that I cannot force anyone else to adopt the same lifestyle and that's really not my goal.  It's none of my business.  However, I just feel like there is no reason that I need to live a life that causes other beings to die for my comfort.  And so its pretty much as simple as that. 


A lot of people ask me about gray areas.  Where I would draw the line.  Would I kill an animal if it was attacking me, would I eat meat if I was starving, do I kill bugs.  And the answer is, there is not always a perfect line.  I just try the best I can to live a life that does not cause harm to others.  Yes I would do what was necessary if the situation called for it, but for my day to day life I can survive pretty well without eating meat.  


And thanks guys! Over a thousand views!


Chris