To Whom It May Concern

I have to admit I have no tact, but I have mastered the art of "if you have nothing nice to say, then stay silent.”

Which is why people think I'm shy. I don't WANT to hurt people's feelings, and growing up, I truly believed people didn't want to hurt mine.

Until i met Jasmine.

She was pretty and ALWAYS said the right thing at the right time. Everyone liked her, but there was something about her that made me uncomfortable.

In short I really didn't like her.

I was quiet around her, I smiled, was as polite as I could possibly be…but…I guess she saw through me.

Soon every slip-up I made was broadcasted across the school! If I was even a LITTLE blunt Jasmine would start to cry FOR the other person! Even if I said ‘please’, it didn’t even matter any more…everything I said was now ‘mean’.

I was now a ‘bully’.

One day, during lunch, the teacher made us sit outside in a circle, and I was next to Jasmine. She prattled about how I needed to be more aware of my words and how violent I was. How SHE, a VEGAN, was the EPITOME of PEACE. All I needed to do was follow her example!

As i was lectured, i contemplated how mean she was being by assuming that I was being mean. She didn't know me. As far as i was aware, we'd never had a proper conversation.

I guess that's the day I snapped...

“You know, you are so right,” I said dramatically with a small laugh, “I think I’m beginning to see the error of my ways.”

I plucked a piece of grass and set it on her knee.

“To be a vegan…”

I plucked another as though the grass blades were flower petals and I was asking if someone loved me.

“To eat the vegan…”

Pluck.

“To be a vegan…”

Pluck.

“To eat the vegan…”

I relished her look of silent horror as I continued. I just kept going plucking one blade at a time, placing them with the others.

At least she was finally silent.