this little piggie went to market, this little piggie turned vegetarian.

I was raised eating meat, which usually meant dinner made with a pound of ground beef, pork chops, or chicken breasts used in the many meals my mom made for us. In college, I ate at the cafeteria and found many meat-molded shapes of "nuggets " or "strips" to my liking. I had many late night runs-ins after partying at Taco Bell, (or "Taco Hell" as we called it) Burger King and McDonald's. Then, when I became a wife, I tried my best at cooking dinner every night to feed my ex-husband some kind of meat-laden concoction. Yes, for 27 years I was a meat-eating girl who never thought twice about what I was putting in my mouth. I even met my bestie over a year ago, who has been a vegetarian, or "veggie" as I like to refer to, for many years now. Her non-meat-eating ways only made me think twice as to whether or not the restaurant or house we were going to would have options for her to choose from. I knew her reasons for becoming a veggie, but never considered becoming one myself. I have always been known to my friends and family as the biggest animal lover on the planet. I cherish each and every kind of animal on our planet. I feel so extremely passionate about animal abuse, I almost make myself sick even thinking it. I think that animal abusers should be in prison for the rest of their sorry-ass lives, and that's to say the least.

So why, do you ask, have I all of a sudden, out of the blue decided to become a veggie myself??? That's a great question, and the answer is very simple...I read a book. A book called Skinny Bitch. I had no idea what I was wrapping my eyes around when I started that cute, raunchy, and real-as-it-gets book! They spill the beans on how skinny people are healthy people in a way that would have never crossed my mind. They are VEGANS. They tell you how the animals are raised in absolutely horrific conditions, and then proceed to detail their miserable lives on the route to their death, and finally describe how these animals are tortured and killed in the most inhumane way at slaughter houses. There are many confessions from the slaughter house workers noted in the book. Reading all of these tragic and heart-wrenching stories made me want to know more, and also to find out what I could do to help stop this kind of treatment to animals. In this book, (which I highly recommend!) they mention the website for vegans, which is http://www.goveg.com/ (please check it out for yourself!!!!!). I was immediately drawn to the videos shown on the website. I was a bawling, sobbing mess by the end of the first 30 seconds. This kind of treatment is enough to make any compassionate human being (which I hope there are still some out there) want to make it STOP.

I immediately decided to put my meat-eating ways to an end. I even considered becoming a vegan, but living in the Midwest, I really felt that my options would be so limited I would have a hard time with that. So no meat it is for me. I'm into my first week and let me tell you, I do not have a fondness for vegetarian food, but I have not given up yet! I think it's going to take time for my taste buds to adjust, after all, they have been used to the taste of rotting carcus for the last 27 years. barf. As you read this, I hope you consider reading the book, or at least checking out the website. For every vegetarian there is, 100 animals are saved from the slaughterhouse each year. There are so many issues behind all of this, but I can't possibly begin to detail them like the book and website do. So, wish this newly veggie good luck, and somebody pass the tofu!