i've already talked a bit about my vegan journey in my first blog entry, but i wanted to discuss the whys of my vegan choice:i care about animals- i know omnivores care about animals too, i just believe that there is a disconnection omnis experience made between animals when they're alive and buying a package of meat at the store. i have my theories about why this disconnect exists. Western culture fosters the utilization of things in an instant gratification fashion. People don't want to wait for anything and want what they want in the prettiest package possible-(sorry for the alliteration.) i experienced this universe for most of my life. today-- knowing what i know about factory farming-(even "nice" organic farms, or kosher meat) i cannot in good conscience eat meat, eggs, and milk. one thing that has puzzled me about the animal rights movement is the need to see multiple videos about how animals are treated. why watch that over and over? i only needed to see it once, and it changed me. even when i was going back and forth with meat eating i still had this awful feeling in my soul about my consumption. i would think, this animal i just ate, he/she unwillingly gave it's life for me just so i could say, "yeah, i want a #6 with cheese and a sprite". the bird lived in conditions i would never want to subject anyone human or non-human to, and the people that had to slaughter this bird were probably also underage, underpaid, and working in a dangerous unsanitary environment for long hours. an additional note: while i don't like scare tactics, i think it would be interesting to see how many omnivores would change their eating patterns if they had kill the animals they were about to eat themselves or had to see an animal slaughtered before he/she became the finished product. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A37569-2004Dec30.html or read this
an additional note: i think it would be interesting to see how many omnivores would change their eating patterns if they had to kill the animals they were about to eat themselves or had to see an animal slaughtered before he/she became the finished product.
i want to do my part to heal our world (Tikkun Olam)- do i think i can end the raping of our planet all by myself? hell no. i do believe that i can reduce my carbon crater print by being vegan, because i am never gonna be in a financial position to buy a hybrid car or add solar panels to my roof. i'm consuming products that are less taxing on the environment, and not consuming products that are taking up space in landfills, polluting our water, and making others sick. Many people forget the political move they can make simply by not buying crap.
i want to repair my relationship with food and respect my body-again, i realize that omnivores also care about eating quality food and respect their bodies. and please for the love of god don't think i'm talking about being on a diet. i hate diets, and the amount of hatred i have for the dieting industry could easily take up another blog. once again, the disconnect that i've mentioned comes into play. i have a history of abusing food that i'm not really comfortable talking about. i can say that i've been in remission for a number of years from said problem, and i believe it's because of the fat acceptance movement and vegetarianism. i love junk food as much as the next person; however, i feel better when i eat good nutritious, unpackaged, and minimally processed foods. i'm not gonna lie, the hard part about being vegan is the forethought. i spend my time looking at cookbooks, obtaining items for a recipe, and cooking in the kitchen. this ritual has helped me become one with what i eat. once i sit down and eat i'm amazed at my little masterpiece. i've been taking pictures of my creations. in our fast-paced and crazy-assed world it's been the stopping and taking the time to cook that has saved me mentally, physically, spiritually, and financially! i usually dedicate my sundays to a good 3-6 hours of cooking so i have grab n' go meals ready for my family throughout the week.
so, what do you do if you're contemplating veganism? get some books, read, do your homework, go to a vegan potluck, take a cooking class, and don't get involved with holier than thou vegan douche bags. take your time making the transition. you can do it.
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