First feeling of deprivation

Dear Diary,

I'm going to be sharing another tidbit of information; I'm vegetarian. People would classify me as vegan, but I really don't like that term. It is true that I do not eat animal products and it is also true that I avoid products that were produced by or made from animals. I believe in altruism toward animals. What bugs me about the term vegan is that their needs to be a term, to specify how closely someone follows a way of life. Isn't a vegetarian who eats animal products the equivalent to a Christmas and Easter Christian? What is the point of classifying yourself as something if the classification doesn't fit? What really annoys me about the term vegan is that with it people expect you to have some moral high horse agenda. If you tell someone you are vegan it's like you are attacking their personal views and they need to go on the offensive and get you defending your choices. What I want to know is, "How does what I choose not to eat affect someone else?" People assume that if you are vegan you will start preaching about why they should be vegan also. Do I have a list of reasons, Yes I can think of numerous benefits. Am I going to tell you about them, No if you wanted to know you'd do your own research. I'll make my choices and everyone else will make their choice.

Now that we have that tangent out of the way on to my first feelings of deprivation. I have been a vegetarian for many years now. Most of the time there is a delightful option that tastes similar to what I remember from my pre-vegetarian days. However there are some things that I have not found vegetarian options for, such as lemon meringue pie, angel food cake, and white chocolate. Most of the time there are other options that I am perfectly content choosing instead. However I live with my best bud who bought one of those items that I don't know how to make or where to get a vegetarian version. This is killing me, it is sitting in the kitchen taunting me. Years of being vegetarian and having people ask me don't you miss anything, and being able to honestly tell them "nope". I am being taunted by baked goods. I feel like I am missing out, because it's there, in my kitchen, ready to be consumed. I guess I'm lucky that I've never really missed something before. I don't have any intention of eating my best buds sweet treat. I'm pretty sure that even if I did it would in no way taste as good as I remember.

I'm just startled to realize that I feel as though I am missing out on something. I guess it wouldn't be hard to respect animals if you were never tempted, and for many years it hasn't been hard for me. I guess this experience has taught me a few things. 1. I do have self control after all. 2. You never realize how easy something is till it gets harder.

Until next time,
Me