MVF

Questions I am often asked:
How tall are you?
I’m 6’8” tall. I’m not embarrassed by my height, but I don’t like it when people ask me stupid questions about it because (1) I don’t think it’s a defining characteristic of who I am, (2) I’ve heard them all, a lot. You telling me that I’d be a good football player or that I could beat you up may seem like a novel conversation starter to you, but I'm cringing inside, I promise.
Why are you a vegetarian?
I’ve found plenty of good reasons, being one since March 2003, and many great benefits (how easy it is, feeling better, less fast food, etc.) but I can’t point to one particular reason that made me turn. It may have started with a book I had as a kid about these group of turkeys that were going to be eaten for Thanksgiving, but managed to escape and enjoyed a vegetarian meal with the family meant to eat them. Also, one time when I was 9 we had Cornish game hen (the kind where you have the whole bird’s body in front of you) and I remember violently destroying it, stabbing it, etc. Your basic shithead 9-year-old behavior. Amidst my destruction, something snapped in me and I just started crying, but as far as traumatic experiences go, that’s about it. I really think it was a rational event. I thought about the consequences of eating meat, and what the benefits are of it for me, and I couldn’t justify it. I’ve never really missed it, and even if I did, a preference in taste will never justify killing another creature, no matter how dumb it is, and how smart you are. If you want to argue/discuss it, and I’m in the right mood to do so, I’m sure we can. I’m usually up for a good debate, but the truth is, no matter what reasons people give, I can’t really reconcile the idea in my head that people think it’s perfectly fine and wonderful to kill animals for what barely counts as a reason.
Why do you have such a big problem with the way people live?
I'm a bit of a contradiction. I really like people, but I often hate the things they do. Far too often I see people I love caught up in materialism, sexist gender roles and/or just not caring about the suffering of another. It appalls me, but I still have a hard time holding it against them. I guess I feel that everyone has good in them at the end of the day; a human connection we can all relate to. I've found that the more bullshit you surround yourself with, the harder it is to find. So just stop it. Stop trying to prove how great you are, and I'm sure it will come out on its own.I can't say I'm innocent of it, either. I get caught up in it to. Maybe my materialism or ego presents itself differently, but I assure you it's there. I've always been one to preach more than I can practice.