A couple of years ago, I got to attend a grade school reunion. My former classmate who was organizing the event tracked me down via Facebook, and in the process of corresponding, I mentioned that I write about the meat processing industry. She responded by saying she had been a vegetarian for 14 years and a vegan for five years, and she thought my job was gross.
My job. Most of the time, my job involves sitting at my desk, listening to iTunes and writing stories. But because I happen to write about the meat industry, she thought it was gross. Now, I could have given arguments about misconceptions in the industry and the food safety advancements I’ve seen, but there would have been no point to it. Her mind was made up, and my experiences in the industry weren’t going to change her beliefs.