firetigr. Reply if you want me to interview you.I've done this interview thing once before, and the same question came up. I hope you don't mind, but with a few edits, here is the same answer again.
I went through several stages. The first, and I think the most influential thing, was a conversation I had at McDonald's around 1989. By the way, my favorite restaurant used to be McDonald's. Over burgers, Dori talked to me about vegetarianism. I had heard of it before, but hadn't considered it. She was considering it, and said meat is bad for your aura. I wasn't too concerned about that, but I thought hey, I could try vegetarianism... once I move out of my parents' house.
She flirted with vegetarianism. I went off to college in 1991, at San Jose State. I was introduced to dorm (er, residence hall) food at a place known as the Dining Commons. At the D.C. I could get all the food I wanted per meal ticket. There was also a cafeteria open to the public where I could get certain amounts of money worth per meal.
I was a fan of bacon and burgers, and that was most of the meat I ate. D.C. bacon I would blot with 7 napkins per slice before eating it... it was that greasy. Then a few things happened... I had a Gardenburger at the fancy cafeteria (with side of bacon, which confused them to no end when I ordered it), and the McLean Deluxe at McDonald's. The Gardenburger was quite tasty. The McLean Deluxe was one of the most disgusting things I'd ever tasted. It was supposed to be a lower-fat, healthier burger. Bleh. No wonder it didn't last long.
I stopped eating red meat late in 1991. I think it was mainly for taste reasons. I went through various other stages for various reasons, settling on being vegan for health reasons a little after my sister Linda converted. I turned vegan some time in August, 1993. My SO at the time, and
carol_kitty, gave me about a month to last as a vegan, and my SO even tried to shove a Baskin Robbins chocolate ice cream cone in my face. Thank you both for helping my resolve... it's 10 years this month. :)Once I was vegan, I realised there are more extreme types than vegans. That I know of, there are raw vegetarians and fruitarians. I don't mind eating their food... some if it is pretty good... but I think plain old veganism works for me.
Ouch. One thing? Hmmm... for people to really understand each other, not just on the surface.
I don't remember ever singing in the shower. I haven't really thought about it. I do often sing in the car, especially when the car stereo works.
Hmm... okay, that's easy. The Reverend Charles Lutwidge Dodgson (pen name: Lewis Carroll). Genius, and we might even have a lot to talk about.
Kindness. Amusing people. Oh, and that big castle I'm going to build... yeah...
