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A vegetarian in cattle country
by Katy Soreide

Celery – I don’t like it. Not at all. Be it with raisins, peanut butter, cheese or whatever…it’s just not for me. Most people have no problem with my dislike of celery; in fact most people couldn’t care less. However, I have found that people do tend to have an opinion about something else I don’t eat: meat.

This is Nebraska, so I’m sure some people may have already taken offense to this essay based on the “V” word in the title. This still astounds me because, a) I don’t see why being vegetarian is something to be defensive about – considering I don’t get annoyed when someone eats celery – and, b) simply, why do you care?

In the end it comes down to ethics – ugly territory, I know. When it comes to eating or not eating meat people often feel the need to place a “right” or “wrong” mark on the subject. Each side has its reasons: Vegetarians defend their lifestyle based on health issues, the environment, and the well-being of the cuddly creatures that inhabit this earth. On the other hand, meat-eaters often bring up man’s history of eating meat and animal overpopulation, and insist that eating meat is not as unhealthy as vegetarians claim.

One thing needs to be clear: While I wish that more people would adopt a meat-free lifestyle, I’m not here to preach. You may all do as you like; I know you will anyway. This is simply to provide more information about the lifestyle (because it is one), and to open up a community where “vegheads” and the like can congregate and hug trees (or whatever it is we vegetarians actually do).

These days, vegetarianism is transforming itself from trend to tradition. According to a poll conducted by Teenage Research Unlimited, nearly 25 percent of adolescents polled said that vegetarianism is “cool.” While that number might not seem high, you can take that as one in four teens believe that not eating meat is not the end of the world—a major step forward for the vegetarian movement. 

“What do you eat?”is the question most frequently asked to non-meat-eaters. My reply: Anything without a face. Vegetarians, at least vegetarians like me, eat vegetables as well as all of the other food groups. In short, we eat anything that isn’t a carcass. Not a difficult concept, or so you would think.

Even with the growing popularity of vegetarian lifestyles, the number of people adamantly against someone else’s decision not to eat meat is astonishing to me. As a high school vegetarian, teasing and mocking come with the territory. Mostly it’s all in fun, but there are people that are personally offended. One person heard about my vegetarian bent and seemed horrified that I refused to eat the meat that the good people of Nebraska cultivated for me. It was implied that it was somehow un-American not to support the meat packing industry. I have also had people try and shove meat into my mouth or hide it in my other food, either because they thought it was funny or they were just being malicious.

Not only are the people sometimes unaccommodating, but vegetarian foods are often hard to come by. At the grocery stores in town I find very little in the way of meat-free substitutes; whereas my sister, in Fort Collins, Colorado can stock her freezer full of soy goodies anytime she wants. Not to say I can’t manage, but it does make mealtimes a trick sometimes —but, hey, who doesn’t love a challenge?

When it comes down to eating habits, remember celery. You either like it or you don’t. The same can be said about vegetarianism. Can’t we just agree to disagree? It’s my choice – that doesn’t mean it needs to be yours. I always say there’s nothing wrong with giving peas a chance…

Katy Soreide is a sophomore at Holdrege High School in Holdrege, Nebraska. A shorter version of this essay was an editorial in her school newspaper, The Duster.

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