I can’t tell if this is a literal report of your experience at a family dinner, or an exaggeration to make a point. Regardless of the morality of things, I’d advise a lot of introspection (likely guided by a professional) about why you chose to attend, knowing you’d observe a dead bird being served as food, and then be incapacitated with grief. This interfered with your own happiness, the happiness of your GF’s family, and likely interfered with human connections you might have made. AND it probably didn’t save any birds or change any attendees’ beliefs or behaviors.
I sympathize (but do not empathize or feel it myself) with your sorrow, and I’m sorry you’re suffering. I respect your right to follow this pledge, and to avoid situations where you feel bad. I will gladly prepare and serve vegetarian dishes if you ever visit me.
At the same time, I don’t think this is the most effective way for you to react or behave. If this is the controlling issue for all interactions, and nothing is more important or interesting enough to outweigh it, I suspect I won’t enjoy your company enough to have you over in the first place. Which means you won’t get the opportunity to explore my reasoning for eating meat, and to help me see the error of my ways.
I can’t tell if this is a literal report of your experience at a family dinner, or an exaggeration to make a point. Regardless of the morality of things, I’d advise a lot of introspection (likely guided by a professional) about why you chose to attend, knowing you’d observe a dead bird being served as food, and then be incapacitated with grief. This interfered with your own happiness, the happiness of your GF’s family, and likely interfered with human connections you might have made. AND it probably didn’t save any birds or change any attendees’ beliefs or behaviors.
I sympathize (but do not empathize or feel it myself) with your sorrow, and I’m sorry you’re suffering. I respect your right to follow this pledge, and to avoid situations where you feel bad. I will gladly prepare and serve vegetarian dishes if you ever visit me.
At the same time, I don’t think this is the most effective way for you to react or behave. If this is the controlling issue for all interactions, and nothing is more important or interesting enough to outweigh it, I suspect I won’t enjoy your company enough to have you over in the first place. Which means you won’t get the opportunity to explore my reasoning for eating meat, and to help me see the error of my ways.