Since age eight, freshman staff writer Ana Aldridge has refused consume meat. However, at age 20, she plans to cave into her carnivorous cravings. Cartoon by Ashley Lawrence.
By ANA ALDRIDGE – Staff Writer
Freshman Ana Aldridge looks back to the reasons behind her decision to be a vegetarian until the age of 20.
I’ve been a vegetarian since I was eight. Why? Good question. I love meat. In fact, although I don’t eat it anymore, the smell of a Checker’s burger fresh from the drive-thru still drives me insane.
There are two main reasons why I became a vegetarian. The first is that I always will have a deep love and compassion for animals. I grew up watching “Charlotte’s Web” and was the proud owner of a dog, cat and two betta fish.
The thought of consuming another being, especially a cute and fuzzy one, has always deeply disturbed me. I don’t like the idea of humans placing themselves in a mindset of superiority when it comes to eating and killing animals, no matter how delicious they may be.
The second reason I gave up meat was simply to commit to something. I wanted to prove to myself—and maybe my parents as well—that I could devote myself to something so life-changing despite the temptation.
Here’s where the story gets interesting.
My eight-year-old self couldn’t bear the thought of giving up chicken nuggets forever, so I thought up a compromise. I wouldn’t eat meat until my 20th birthday.
According to the vegetarian calculator—yes, apparently that exists—by age 20 I will have saved 2,424 animals, which means I can indulge in my carnivorous pleasures with a clear-ish conscience.
Whenever I explain my plan to eliminate meat from my diet until age 20, people are baffled by the thought of it and often critical. They can’t seem to fathom why someone who loves meat would stop eating it for 12 years, or on the other hand, why someone who is so fond of animals would quit their vegetarianism after only 12 short years.
So yes, my idea is a little far fetched. But I thought of it in second grade and even though my “until age 20” compromise may not be for everyone, it’s what feels right for me and I plan to stick with my happy-medium no matter what others’ opinions on the subject may be.
