Personal Narrative

I was eight and in California visiting with my vegetarian grandparents. We were being seated in a vegan restaurant for a late lunch. Tucked inside the glossy menu was a printed brochure regarding the meat industry. I stared at the cow on the front, its big brown eyes staring out at me. I scanned the pamphlet and read the information about the cruelty in the food industry. I was presented with pictures of chickens hanging by their feet and pigs in squalid conditions. This one singular moment left an intense impression on me that I have remembered vividly ever since. Before this, I was a chicken nugget and hot dog type of kid, but since that point, I found that I could no longer participate in the cruel industry that slaughters animals and I vowed to be a vegetarian. It’s been a defining feature of my life since. The transition within my family was not difficult. My mom had been a vegetarian for many years, …show more content…
I was spending the weekend at a leadership seminar at the University of New Mexico. The food had been ham and turkey subs, hot dogs, and a ton of pepperoni pizza. Even though I had specified I had a dietary restriction, no effort was made to accommodate me. My facilitator had noticed me chewing compliantly on a sub of only lettuce, and she was outraged. I tried to explain that it was fine, I was accustom this, and I was too nervous to speak up and demand alternate food. She reminded me that it was not right to not get the vegetarian option I had asked for. She quickly stood up and walked towards the food court. A few long minutes later she returned carrying a takeout bag. She had used her own money to purchase a meal for me. I was taken aback by her kindness, no one had ever taken it upon themselves to help me to get food that I could eat. Her kindness impacted me and changed the way I see my vegetarianism. Now, I stand up for myself and am much more assertive in getting my needs