On a slightly calmer note...

I think being a vegetarian of any degree is great.  There are significant health and environmental benefits to eating fewer animal products:

• lower consumption of saturated fats, promoting cardiovascular health
• likely increased consumption of fruits and vegetables, promoting overall health
• reduced need for large, often inhumane, factory farming techniques
• lower exposure to hormones and other chemical compounds used to boost animal yield
• fewer natural resources needed to raise animals

On the other hand, if you purchase sustainably farmed meat products to be consumed in moderation, I have no beef with that either.  (Pun intended.)  I myself follow a nearly vegan diet with the addition of seafood for reasons of health and personal preference.  Killing animals for food does not really bother me unless it is done inhumanely, inefficiently, or destructively (e.g. ocean trawling, factory farming).  The impact on the environment is also an important consideration: at this point I would probably rather see someone eat a locally farmed steak than a watermelon that has been trucked across the country.

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I would have them be less isolated.  My parents are not selfish by any means, but I spent much of my minority cloistered at home.  We sort of existed in our own little bubble and my parents seemed happy that way, which is probably typical of many immigrant families. I never questioned it until I came to university and discovered I really enjoyed meeting new people even if I don't develop deep relationships with every one of them.  Out of all the new people I encounter, I pick a few to really let in my life, which my parents don't seem to do much of.  I can't name either of their best friends, except maybe my mom's, but she passed away almost two years ago.

I think they've come out of the bubble a bit now, or at least my dad enjoys hobnobbing with the other [slightly daffy] fathers of the Quarterback Club; my mom still seems to regard most other human beings as illusory at best and nuisances at worst.  I work daily to overcome those tendencies and be more open to my friends and the world in general.

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