vege-what

I was trying to figure out a better way of saying 'I'm a vegetarian who sometimes eats fish' for the match profile and so I started poking around google. I ran across a couple of different terms and I think the best was pesco-vegetarian. I also stumbled across some seriously angry people that people like me would dare call themselves vegetarian. They outlined this strict diet and stated if you don't follow all of these rules then you can not be a vegetarian and therefore you must be demon spawn.

I became a vegetarian when I was 15 because I believed that the way animals are raised and slaughtered is cruel and because it is bad for the environment. That was 18 years ago. The last time I had a hamburger was when I was 16 and we were driving to Florida to visit my family and we stopped at Wendy's. That was 17 years ago. I started eating fish about 6 years ago because I was tired of not having other options on the menu besides a vegi burger and pasta, or the ubiquitious roasted vegetable sandwich. People a huge chunk of eggplant on bread is not easy to eat or very tasty. I'd also like to point out that when I became a vegetarian there were no restaurants, except the Chicago Diner, serving vegi burgers. There were almost no vegetarian options and people would actually yell at me if I told them I was a vegetarian. I couldn't understand their hate and now I'm getting it from the vegetarians. Come on.

I do buy leather shoes and I wear them until they are worn to pieces. In the past I tried to buy non-leather shoes but they just get nasty and they tend to fall apart pretty quick. My reasoning, beyond the fact that now I can wear cute shoes, was I would rather keep my shoes out of the land fill longer. Yes, I do think about these things. Am I perfect about it all, no, but I try and I think that counts.

I don't care if my friends eat meat. My only caveat is you can't kiss me afterwards unless you brush your teeth. I think instead of telling people they are not a part of this exclusive vegetarian club we should be welcoming people who are trying to cut down on red meat. Or if someone has managed to cut out red meat but still eats some fish or chicken then we should applaud them. Or someone like me who eats sushi once a week and hasn't eaten meat in 18 years (except that little side trip down hamburger lane) shouldn't be lambasted for not doing things perfectly or to other peoples expectations. This has become a part of my lifestyle and I am barely conscious of the non-meat choices I make. If anyone is interested in my vegetarian lifestyle then drop me a line. I've got a mean mushroom stroganoff recipe that I'll share.