All Creatures Great and Small

It has been about two years since I stopped eating meat.

Recently, I have started the transition to stop eating any animal based nutrient. Funny thing is I don't identify with this and I don't preach to other people. I don't call myself a vegetarian or vegan or whatever, also I do not call myself an animal activist or carnivore hater. I call myself Justin. I made a choice, I have never agreed with hunting or killing of animals for food and it has been a guilt throughout my entire life, since I can remember. So I acted and changed.

Since I made the decision to stop eating meat, I have felt much better and healthier, that's just me. If people ask I tell them how I did it and the mind set that is required. However, I have never pushed it as an unwanted opinion on anyone, funny thing is that some folks, even friends of mine seem to take offense to my choices. Not sure why? I am no threat and never will be. I don't judge and never cast a negative glance or opinion on folks that eat meat; however, I sure have been judged and treated with suspect and negativity. I do not even go as far as telling people why I made the final decision to change. I just say it was a health choice, for which even more questions are thrown at me. The classic is well, how do you get your protein? The protein question is usually asked with disdain.

In one instance I was pushed about my choices, with from what I thought were mature adults began saying shit like, "why do they make meat taste so good then?" or "If God did not intend for us to eat animals, then why did he make them out of meat?" (John Cleese), shit like that. I respond with, when pushed, "animals are people too". Whoa the charge in the room could have powered a small city, not sure why it became that electric but it was not good and then it got ugly, best thing to do was walk away, a bit to psychological for me to want to deal with. I was looked at like a heretic. Oh well!!! I am still going to eat an all vegetable supper.

With the idea of not judging or preaching I also understand that other folks that don't eat meat for their various reasons are preachers and have strong opinions, but that is not me, it is what it is. I suppose on both sides it is a conflict that they all feel strongly fighting. I on the other hand will seek to achieve balance with nature in my own way. I will help Jane plant vegetables and attend the local market with her and the kids; I will portion off a part of our yard as a habitat for other critters; I will not kill other living things if I can help it (if your a knife wielding terrorist, I will have a bomb dropped on you, the same as a poisonous spider or snake will die if it attacks me). I look at the world as belonging to all of us and we need to share in its wonders and vastness, in essence we all just need to get along, all of us.

"All things bright and beautiful,
All creatures great and small,
All things wise and wonderful,
The Lord God made them all."  (Hymns Ancient and Modern)

In writing all of this I just want to ask that you respect my choices as I respect yours. Know that I made my choices out of a sense of earthly community and health. I will never judge or preach this to anyone, it is my spiritual journey, but if you ask and want some insight I will gladly talk to you about my experiences so far.

On a final note to the folks who post things like "my food poops on your food" I guess my only response is "thank god" now my food will grow even better and when I give back it will keep getting better. Hey I am allowed to take sides in some cases, I am human after all and not even close to perfect. 

Cheers

I Give a Shit!!!

I have been driving to work everyday becoming frustrated at some of the drivers around me that seem to not give a fuck about anything. I don't get overly mad, at least not all of the time. Consequently, I decided to stop getting so frustrated and try to understand why these folks are doing what they are doing. It seemed to work and I found myself becoming more empathetic to a lot of the folks in those cars. I realized that sometimes they just made mistakes, I make mistakes too but I learn from them. This was good and really helping me out with my own frustrations and made for a calmer more pleasant drive to work. However, because of this new found freedom of spirit on the road I think about other things that relate to how people drive and conduct themselves in public.

I realized that there are those that care and those that don't. I subscribe to the idea that we are all on this earth together and we need to tolerate and accommodate our fellow humans and creatures.

So a few words on those that don't care and have the default attitude of "I don't give a fuck, how does this effect me" people. By not giving a fuck or shit, its your perogative, it will be those people that do care that have to pick up after you all. Of course you won't care about that because why should you?

I began to start getting upset again, so quickly I began to try and understand the "I don't give a shit" people. I couldn't figure them out. So I have now moved my thoughts towards actions and decided that my life is better off because I do give a shit and if I have to pick up after those that don't then so be it, their loss on moving into a better place of mindfullness.

Short blog post, but I just want to ask everyone to actually give a shit about your world, and those that already do give a shit, fucking spot on.

Apologies for the "fuck" and "shit" I hope it didn't offend?

Cheers

Justin