Introducing.... stupid things I do part one. Feel free to watch the video first, and then read on.
BACK STORY: So, I interviewed one of my mom's friends for a school assignment. One of the questions I asked her was how to stay happy while dealing with so many negative things at work. (I plan on being a counselor, and she is a counselor.) She told me that you just have to focus on the good things that life has to offer, and to not constantly look for the negative things.
It got me thinking. Maybe being a vegetarian was a negative thing. Maybe not eating meat was bringing negative feelings into my life. Maybe if I ate meat then I would stop feeling bad for the animals and grossed out by the idea of eating a dead animal. Maybe it would be so good that I would start justifying it to myself and BAM! Negative thinking gone.
So, let me take you to Thursday. When the above video happened.
Thursday night = sweet and sour chicken.
Friday = chicken and bacon ranch sandwich.
Friday = pepperoni pizza.
Saturday = beef hot dog.
Sunday = pork sandwich.
SO BASICALLY I DID AWESOME AT EATING MEAT.
But, I noticed I was feeling really tired. And you can roll your eyes all you want, BUT IT'S THE TRUTH. I was falling asleep in my Women's Studies class, falling asleep in the movie theatre, and nodding off in the car. Who knows if it was from eating meat or not, but I just didn't like the way I felt since I had starting eating it again.
So, I made a pros and cons list on Monday.
Pros:
I don't feel bad and like I'm a terrible person.
I'm not supporting a horrible industry that has inhumane procedures.
It's easy for me to not eat meat.
Meat is gross anyways.
It makes me bond with strangers.
I feel like I am part of an elite club filled with awesome people like Veronica Hale, Hailey James, Beverly, Jessi, and famous people too like Rosa Parks, Albert Einstein, Steve Jobs, Anne Hathaway, Leonardo Da Vinci, and Avril Lavigne,
Cons:
It causes people to stress about what I'll eat.
People like me less.
I'm not as much fun to eat with, and people feel like they can't go certain places if I go.
I miss out on things, like the new (insert meat product here) that everyone is raving about.
I have less options than meat eaters.
I feel stupid sometimes. Especially when people make a big deal out of it.
My mom and Jake love me more when I eat meat. (Ok. This one isn't true, most likely, but it's how I feel so it's valid.)
So, I looked at my list and decided this.
If I lived on a desert island all by myself, I would be vegetarian.
The only reason I started eating meat, is because A.) I thought it would make me more positive. (Which, spoiler alert, it didn't) and B.) I wanted to stop causing people to worry and stress out.
But, then I came to the realization that is the moral of every movie you watch when you're a kid. DON'T CHANGE YOURSELF TO MAKE PEOPLE HAPPY.
Were people happy that I was eating meat again? Yes. Was I happy that I was eating meat again? No.
I am a firm believer in sacrificing certain aspects of your life for the people you love. For example, cleaning all the time, or working a terrible job, or going to insane amounts of school, or pushing small humans out of your lady parts. However, I feel that if something is really important to you, then the people you love should accept that.
And furthermore, if people are going to stress out about what I am going to eat, or if they are going to feel like we can't go to certain restaurants, just because I don't eat meat, then that's their problem. I've said it before, and I'll probably have to say it a million more times, but here it is.
The last thing I want to be is a burden. Please, eat where you want to eat. I can promise you I will be 100% fine. In my 3.56 years of being a vegetarian, I have never once been somewhere that had nothing for me to eat. So, I can say with certain assurance, that wherever you want to go to eat will be fine with me.
So, really.
If people want to be stressed or if they want it to limit their options when they're with me, then it's their choice, I guess.But for now, and for ever, I am being a vegetarian, because I like it.
I like the way it makes me feel, eating cruelty free.
I like vegetarian food, like vegetables and fruits and tofu and veggie burgers.
And, lastly, it doesn't bring negativity into my life! Haha I am so dumb.
Oh, hey, I morally oppose human trafficking and murder, so to make it better I am going to participate in those very things.
Um... no.
The key is to not look for negative things. When negative things happen, make them positive. And EXERCISE EVERY DAY. Get those endorphins, flowin, yo.
Anyways, I just thought I would share this, because it was one of those life events, ya know?
Plus, I never really talked about it to anyone, about going back to vegetarianism I mean. So, it feels good to get all the thoughts out. Sometimes I feel like I talk to much to my family about stuff, and they are all just like "mmmhhhhmmm". So, there goes.
This was long. I'm sorry.
Moral of the story: Make happy lists and don't do stupid thing just because you think they will make you a more positive person.
XOXO
- - - - -
E
It causes people to stress about what I'll eat.
People like me less.
I'm not as much fun to eat with, and people feel like they can't go certain places if I go.
I miss out on things, like the new (insert meat product here) that everyone is raving about.
I have less options than meat eaters.
I feel stupid sometimes. Especially when people make a big deal out of it.
My mom and Jake love me more when I eat meat. (Ok. This one isn't true, most likely, but it's how I feel so it's valid.)
So, I looked at my list and decided this.
If I lived on a desert island all by myself, I would be vegetarian.
The only reason I started eating meat, is because A.) I thought it would make me more positive. (Which, spoiler alert, it didn't) and B.) I wanted to stop causing people to worry and stress out.
But, then I came to the realization that is the moral of every movie you watch when you're a kid. DON'T CHANGE YOURSELF TO MAKE PEOPLE HAPPY.
Were people happy that I was eating meat again? Yes. Was I happy that I was eating meat again? No.
I am a firm believer in sacrificing certain aspects of your life for the people you love. For example, cleaning all the time, or working a terrible job, or going to insane amounts of school, or pushing small humans out of your lady parts. However, I feel that if something is really important to you, then the people you love should accept that.
And furthermore, if people are going to stress out about what I am going to eat, or if they are going to feel like we can't go to certain restaurants, just because I don't eat meat, then that's their problem. I've said it before, and I'll probably have to say it a million more times, but here it is.
The last thing I want to be is a burden. Please, eat where you want to eat. I can promise you I will be 100% fine. In my 3.56 years of being a vegetarian, I have never once been somewhere that had nothing for me to eat. So, I can say with certain assurance, that wherever you want to go to eat will be fine with me.
So, really.
If people want to be stressed or if they want it to limit their options when they're with me, then it's their choice, I guess.But for now, and for ever, I am being a vegetarian, because I like it.
I like the way it makes me feel, eating cruelty free.
I like vegetarian food, like vegetables and fruits and tofu and veggie burgers.
And, lastly, it doesn't bring negativity into my life! Haha I am so dumb.
Oh, hey, I morally oppose human trafficking and murder, so to make it better I am going to participate in those very things.
Um... no.
The key is to not look for negative things. When negative things happen, make them positive. And EXERCISE EVERY DAY. Get those endorphins, flowin, yo.
Anyways, I just thought I would share this, because it was one of those life events, ya know?
Plus, I never really talked about it to anyone, about going back to vegetarianism I mean. So, it feels good to get all the thoughts out. Sometimes I feel like I talk to much to my family about stuff, and they are all just like "mmmhhhhmmm". So, there goes.
This was long. I'm sorry.
Moral of the story: Make happy lists and don't do stupid thing just because you think they will make you a more positive person.
XOXO
- - - - -
E
I pretty much like you just the way your are, Emily. I like meat too though. Just to be clear about it...
ReplyDeletehahahaha! I love this video. too funny!
ReplyDeleteI can't believe you ate meat everyday for a whole week! haha.
I'm glad that you experimented with it, to see if it changed anything, though.
And it's not so hard being veggie if you've got beans, and mexican food, and tofu, and lentils....