four weeks ago, i made the decision to go vegan. i didn't really tell anyone, like my parents or anything. i just said i wasn't eating cheese because of the fat content. but really, i was giving this vegan thing a test run. and here i am, four weeks later, and the only non-vegan thing i've had was a single bite of birthday cake. i'm pretty impressed. i didn't think i could give up mozzarella cheese, which was really the only thing stopping me from going vegan. but it hasn't been too bad. yeah, i've had cravings. but overall, i feel pretty good about the decision. and i'm going to continue with it.
today, though, i told my soon-to-be co-workers that i'm vegan, and they were full of the same questions that most meat eaters are: how do you get your protein? what if the milk is organic? don't you know that humans are meant to eat meat? there's a circle of life for a reason... yada, yada, yada. i was pretty much getting attacked by one person, in particular, who went to vet school and said she went veg during her time in college because of all the research she was reading. but then decided she couldn't live that way, and now tries to do organic/local/self-sustaining farming. and i think that's great. if i raised my dairy cows and milked them myself and had a way to pasteurize the milk, yeah, maybe i wouldn't be vegan. but the thing is that i don't, so i have to go with what works for me. i told her that i'm not out to convert anyone, or push my beliefs on anyone -- what's right for me isn't right for everyone. but she just wouldn't let it go. and i was reminded of myself ten years ago, when i was just as hostile with my wife because i didn't understand it, and i probably had some guilt in there too. i chose not to think about how my food choices mattered because i didn't want to give up the things i enjoyed. being a picky eater, chicken and turkey and cheese subs were my staples. and so a lot of my lashing out probably had to do with my own insecurities and feelings of guilt for eating animals.
but things are different today. i did a lot of research, and there were health problems to contend with, too. going organic did a lot for relieving the symptoms of my pituitary tumor, but not enough. giving up meat altogether did help. and now that i've given up dairy, i feel even better. it was a choice that i made for both my spiritual and physical well-being. it really isn't for everyone, and i understand that. for me, it really is a spiritual thing. my soul feels lighter as a result, and as hokey as that might sound to others, it's just how it is. not everyone will choose this path, and i accept that. i'm not into the PETA way of doing things -- cramming it down the throats of anyone who will listen. extremism always seems harmful to me, because it pushes people away. instead, i'd rather live by example. this is an alternative, for people who might want to feel healthier or reduce their footprint or find a more compassionate way of living.
but again, it's not for everyone. this is just my journey. and all i can do is be present in it, and hope that people will understand.
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