How Do Ordinary People Become Vegetarians, Mom?

One of my kids' favorite mealtime stories is how I became a vegetarian. "Tell us again, Mom," Sis will plead, "about when you were a kid and ate meat and then decided not to."

And so today, when the refrain returned over snack at the bookstore, I asked why they liked hearing that story (which mainly starts with how I loved meat--ham, chicken fried steak, hot dogs, chicken fingers, pork chops, meatloaf, meatballs, turkey, London broil, fried shrimp, whatever--as a kid but decided not to eat it after they were born. That I still like it but don't like that it's dead animals. And that I think everyone can choose what they eat and that it's okay if they eat meat.) And Sis said, "I want to know how ordinary people become vegetarians, Mom."

Huh. Is that like ordinary people becoming werewolves or sprouting an extra head?

So, I went through the story once again, to the usual responses that Sis likes meat and that Bud wants to be a vegetarian when he grows up. And I added a part today about how many people of different religions refuse to eat certain foods--mainly the prohibition against pork for Jews and Muslims. I even said there were people called vegans who didn't eat any animal products. And the woman putting sugar in her coffee behind us turned around and introduced herself as a vegan. We talked briefly about raising carnivore kids and also how important it was to think about what you put in your body--laughing that my kids were inhaling rice krispy treats (but did you know that the ancient Egyptians invented the marshmallow?)--while the kids stared and stared. Only after she left did Sis ask why people were vegans. Mercy, I wished she'd asked the vegan. But I said that it had to do with respecting animals and wanting to take care of them.

Nonplussed, they finished their treats and we headed to the kids' book section.

Where Sis promptly chose to read a Berenstain Bears book about junk food.

So much for all my stories.