jainpushp
I am 9 years old. Born to Indian parents in the USA. I am vegetarian since birth. I am proud of my religion and thankful to my parents who are helping me understand the principles of Jainism. There are many things I do not understand yet, but the main thing I know is nonviolence which leads to being a vegetarian.
Being vegetarian is fun. The thing I like best is that one does not have to kill for food. There are many things besides meat that one can eat and enjoy. If I could have three wishes, one of them would be for everyone to be a vegetarian like us. My family knows one other family who is vegetarian. Are you a vegetarian? I hope you are.
I do not remember much before I started school. When I was six I started going to school. First week of school I had problems with lunch. My parents wanted me to continue being a vegetarian. My Principal interviewed me alone and asked if I was forced to be a vegetarian or not. I said I was not being forced. I just wanted to follow my parent's religion. I still had the problem for a few weeks, because I had to have all the items of food on my plate including meat, but after a while my mom talked to them and I did not have to. Now I enjoy my food at school. It is no problem. My younger brother starts school this year. I am sure he will have no problem.
In summer I go to overnight camping trips without my family. Now I do not have to be told about food. Some people think I would not like it because I could not have cookout fun. While other kids make their hot dogs, I enjoy roasting my marshmallows.
I also go to birthday parties, team parties of my baseball team and do not feel that because I am a vegetarian, I am different. I can have cheese, pizza, etc. I never come home hungry.
Sometimes we have to eat what we do not like, that is, different kinds of vegetables and some lentils, but at home when we see that everybody is eating them, we learn to like them. When our family goes for a long trip, we have to pack food, maybe more than other people so we can have enough variety.
When we go to India, our grandparents are so proud of us, that although we are away from home, we are still vegetarian. Their pride and joy in our being vegetarian gives me more of a push to continue being vegetarian.
Many American people we know are vegetarians. They are not Jains but they feel that vegetarian food is good for them. I do not know what religion they follow but it is good that they are vegetarians.
All my friends eat everything. Right now, I do not know how to tell them not to eat nonvegetarian food, but when I grow up I will try to tell them. Whatever they eat, they still are my friends. We have everything in common. They do not call me an Indian or a vegetarian kid, they call me Raj. In the end, I only want to say that being vegetarian in U. S, A. is not difficult but it is different.