Why are you vegetarian?

I've lost count of the number of times over the years that I've been asked this question. It seems to happen less often now that being vegetarian is a very much accepted part of society. But even so, it is something that fascinates many meat-eaters - many who think being vegetarian just involves eating vegetables, means you must hate anyone who eats meat and are surprised you can get through the day without passing out from lack of protein. So here's my thoughts about being vegetarian, mainly so I can direct the next person to ask the dreaded question to this blog post and save myself a lot of time.