When Love Isn’t Worth It

What would you do for love? How far would you go to have a relationship with a certain person, and how much are you willing to change yourself in order to be with them? Personally, my answer is: not a whole hell of a lot. I cannot see myself loving another person if they do not love me for who I am. Obviously, this is not everyone’s approach. Some people go through extreme changes just to meet the expectations of their partner and their family. I actually know such a person.

This girl I know is dating someone from a strict religious background, and has completely changed the way she lives her life in order to be accepted by her boyfriend’s family. From my understanding, this family is strictly Baptist. They believe that women should not wear pants, and that drinking, dancing and listening to music is sinful, but by far the most ridiculous thing is that she has changed her life to accommodate them. She does not wear pants in front of his family, no longer goes out dancing, and attends the local Baptist church at least twice a week. All of this is quite the change for her life before meeting this guy.

Apparently, her boyfriend is much more accepting than his family of her lifestyle, but she still has to keep up appearances in order to appease his family, otherwise they will never be able to get married.  I recently asked her if she liked her new Baptist life, she only responded with “I like my boyfriend.”

I don’t care how much you love someone, if they or their family are forcing you to adjust to their way of life and you have no real desire to do so (other than the desire for that one person), you should run away now. No person on this earth is worth changing your life for if it doesn’t make you happy. You will have to spend the rest of your life putting on an act in order to maintain face, and that does not sound like a life worth living to me.

Beating the Vegan Agenda

This is my own response to all the vegans that have decided to flood their food-related ideals all over the internet, including my Facebook feed. I am exceedingly getting closer to deleting you from my list of friends.(Which is a shame, because they are, otherwise, nice people.)

I would like to first start this post with a comment to all vegans:

Congratulations.

I’m pretty sure we all know this person.

It isn’t sarcasm either. You have found a diet that works for you- it is ethical eating alternative. Good for you.

But for the love of all that is good in the world, stop trying to guilt trip the rest of society with your way of life. As I said before, I’m glad you are happy with your eating arrangements. I myself have an adjusted diet I like to refer to as “pseudo-vegetarian”, I avoid eating mass-production meat, between the horrid treatment of the animals and the frightening allowances of FDA, I have no desire to consume that. With that being said, I love meat…give me some steak, courtesy of the neighbor’s farm, and I am all over it. And yes, I am aware that my Uncle Jim shot Bambi’s mother, but boy does she make the best jerky. I just prefer to know that my food has lead a happier life than those stuck in cages all of their lives. However, I don’t berate those who do buy their meat from the supermarket; they have just as much freedom to consume whatever they want as I do. I also try not to make my eating preferences a point in conversation unless someone actually asks, or if it is relevant to the conversation.

So, being told that I am a horrible person for eating meat kind rubs me the wrong way. Many vegans have this self-righteous attitude, and scoff at those who choose to eat animal products (we have all met this person). I have three key reasons why vegans should get off their high horse and leave us meat eaters to make our own choices.

1. We are biologically built that way.

A lovely chart, courtesy of Google Images.

Our teeth say it all; we are omnivores. Humans are meant to eat both plants and other animals. We posses small (but sharp) canines for tearing meat and sharper molars designed to mash food rather than grind it like herbivores. Just because you step
ped away from your original, biological purposes, does not mean the rest of our species has to.

2. Where would be today?

If our ancestors had chosen a vegan lifestyle, we would not be where we are today. The most significant and vital part of civilization was the usage of domesticated animals. Without cattle we would have never been able to plant larger crops to maintain a single space to live in, otherwise we would have continued to live our nomadic lives. Animals also produced the resources we needed to survive: milk, eggs and meat to eat, skins to keep warm, and bones to use as tools. The life you are living is the product of meat-eaters that have survived for nearly 200,000 years.

3. Being vegan is a privilege.

You are a vegan because you have the means to be one. You (and I) were born with the privilege to choose not to consume animal products, we are allowed to choose more ethical means of living.  If you were born in a third world country, do you really believe you would turn down some milk and eggs just because you think it is wrong to take things from animals? I highly doubt it. Do you see a family in Africa as monstrous because they had to kill a chicken in order to actually be able to eat? Even in this country, living vegan isn’t always the most inexpensive way of life, not everyone can afford to to buy food that is completely free of animal products. Some people don’t have the choices that you do, so lay off.

4. Bonus (because this is my own personal issue)

Propagating your way of  life as though it is the best and most righteous option doesn’t make you out to be some sort saint or higher being. Instead, you come off as a pompous asshole. You are not providing incentive for me to switch to a vegan diet, however, you are providing an incentive for me to punch you in the face.

Hmm, it felt nice to get that rant off my chest.