I started as most of you with eating meat. Sometimes I thought about the origin of Steaks and Schnitzel but most of the times not.
Than came a phase where I ate meat very seldom. It was not necessary for me but from time to time it was still nice. Maybe because the host cooked a wonderful lunch or maybe Big Tasty…
One day I recognize that I do not like meat anymore and I stopped to eat it. Without exception. But why? And when did it start?
I do not abstain from meat for medical reasons. This was an aspect when I reduced it. Nowadays the thought of eating a part of an animal triggers something deep inside me. It hurts a little bit. It is the Feeling that it is not fair crucify and killing someone for my pleasure. Killing „Someone“? It is only an animal. This brings me to the answer of the second question. It started shortly after my two cats clopped through my appartment. It started with looking into their eyes. They are both black and it is difficult to find out who is who. But after a while I noticed that they are not only cats. They develop ist own character. If a cat lifts its head with a short meow, you know that this is Phoebe. If I water the flowers, the cat running fast to me is Tara. So, they are not longer only pets, they became persons. They are creatures. And what es the difference between them and a cow or a pig? I think even in the past I was not be able to eat an animal that I looked into his eyes, that I stroke. But today it is impossible for me, because I always think about the creature that has to die for a burger or steak.
Many people are against animal experiments but they are still eating meat. The difference between experiments and meat-industry is only small. If you are thinking that the animals have a wonderful long life in a beautiful nature, wake up! This industry is cruel and nothing to do with respect for animals and for life. They torture the animals in a different way than the scientist but they do. Most of the animals have a horrible life and maybe the death is a salvation for them. Is this the way we should treat the nature? And if you believe in god, do you think that this is the way he told us?
Yes, I changed my way of living late and I follow this way without compromise and sometimes a little bit to radical when talking to friends (sorry for that). But I think sometimes it is important to annoy others. Sometimes it is still a little bit hard for me to resist the flavor of a meal with meat, because I ate it in the past and yes, it was nice… But it is not too hard for me, because my impulse are the eyes of Phoebe and Tara. They changed my life in many ways.