I don’t think I’ve ever made a new year resolution. But this year I’m going to stop telling people that I don’t eat meat. It’s not that I do eat meat – I don’t. The thing is, when I tell people that I don’t eat meat, I’m saying it to be polite. I use that form of words because I don’t want to offend people. So, from now on I’m going to be more honest. I’m just going to tell people that I don’t eat animals.
I was nine when I decided to stop eating animals. My twin sister and I were the only black children in school. I experienced racism in and out of the classroom, so in the playground I would often find myself sitting in a corner talking to the local cats. When the cats were away, I’d talk to the birds and the bees. Amazingly, I never met a racist animal. Some were nervous when they first approached me, some would make a few visits before they got close, but it never took long for us to make a connection. Then we would just hang out together.
