non-jesus and wheat gluten

I've considered myself an atheist for many years. People always inform me that "agnostic" is a better term for what I am, but honestly I choose atheist because it is more set in stone. I was raised a Christian but learned quickly that first of all, the whole story is a bunch of nonsense, second of all, believers tend to be a very hateful crew, and lastly, I do not want to be associated with them at all. So I've adopted the term atheist in high school.

I bring this up because today is my most hated holiday. Easter. I hate it. Every year I have Jesus nonsense shoved down my throat. At first I tried having nothing to do with it but that didn't work because, as I said, it was being shoved down my throat. So then I decided to have a little secular chocolate bunny pooped-out Easter egg celebration every year. It's going rather well. All bunnies, no Jesus. I'm about to go make secular chocolate Easter eggs.

I love how everyone assumes that people have the same religion as them. My friend Jim wished me a happy holiday weekend and (he knows how I am, so I could do this) I said to him, "It's not my holiday weekend." He smiled at me. The assumptions seem to dissipate the closer you get to the city. Jim is from Doylestown.

Christmas is just much easier to de-Jesusize. All those reindeer and elves. It's just the holiday of giving to me. A time before the new year starts when it's all snowy and pretty outside when you show your loved ones that you care about them. Jesus can suck it.

I just really hate when people force things on me. Really. It's a serious issue I have.

I went to go visit my parents yesterday. Yes, yesterday, not today. It was a mini Easter strike. My dad said "The least you could have done was bring your grandmother some flowers." Ugh. Okay, I'll bring secular Easter flowers next year. The day before Easter. She was really upset that I wasn't there for her "Easter ham" and then teased me for a good half hour about my vegetarianism. My mother hopped in.

I was actually amused. It was kind of funny. I schooled my grandmother on how to be a vegetarian or a vegan. Her mind continues to be boggled by this. She doesn't understand that there is other food out there other than meat... lol!!! I tried explaining wheat gluten to her as well as bean burgers and such. I think the problem is that the media shows vegetarians as people who sit in front of a slab of tofu for dinner every night. I hardly even like tofu. It has to be prepared well.

My grandmother said "I have two pounds of butter in there. It was on sale. You can take some." And then I told her that I use vegan butter and she was so amused. I explained to her how vegans bake, for instance, substituting eggs with bananas and using vegan sugar (which isn't made with crushed up animal bones).

Her mind was just blown. I love that cute little woman! Anyway, happy secular Easter!