My "why" was simply, let me see if I can do this for 6-weeks? In the process, I've met some amazing people, learned a priceless amount of information, tried new and interesting alternatives to my previous meat-eating diet AND found my "why!"
Brenda did a kick-ass presentation last week, no fact particularly more profound than another for the exception of the image of the fried chicken leg, next to an ummmm....CHICKEN! Yuck!
I've eaten lunch in seafood restaurants, opting for the fried green tomatoes, making certain that there was no dairy and no animal products, no chef, i'm sorry I do not trust your breading, so he brought me a label, no eggs, no milk, wheat/soy product. I'll take TWO!
At work, they set out donuts for them and Oreo's for "The Vegan."
Calling animals what they are and not the "label" helps, they are cows, pigs and birds...beef, pork and chicken just sounds better! I rode by a Popeye's Fried Chicken Restaurant and instead of yum, yum good - I could only think of bloody, dead chickens, why would I want to eat that?
Something happened last week. Something happened that made eating animal flesh very unattractive and inhumane. My earlier posts compared me to a lion, a lion that eats a gazelle. I am not a savage, flesh eating animal. I am not superior over another living, breathing being. My desire is to share the place we've been given to dwell together in harmony. I work hard to maintain my level of fitness and athleticism, why then would I not want ONLY the best to enter my body, the best being what I was intended to eat since creation fruits, vegetables, grains and beans... ut oh - I sound like a Vegan!
Hey Ericka! One of the things that's always struck me about vegans -- whether they're choosing this lifestyle for health, ethical, environmental, spiritual or some other reason -- is that their reasons always involve wanting to do something BETTER. They want to take better care of their bodies, they want animals to be treated better, they want our environmental situation to be better. I've never heard somebody say they went vegan to gain power, to get vengeance, to exploit anyone or to hurt anyone. And yet, those who identify as vegan have somehow gotten a really negative reputation. As if it's wrong to be more compassionate, want to expand your consciousness or to take better care of your body. I think the negative feedback we get as vegans has more to do with the way other people feel about themselves and their choices than it does about how we choose to live our lives.
ReplyDeleteI've really enjoyed reading about your journey. Your experience with living vegan has been so transformative, not just for you but for those of us who have been watching it unfold. To witness another person's consciousness and compassion expand to include the other beings who inhabit this planet with us -- it has been a beautiful experience for me! Please don't forget that the community that we're building will continue to be available to you even after the program has ended. You don't know how many times I've had to talk somebody through a Thanksgiving dinner with family or convince them to get out of the drive-thru line! And I'm more than happy to do it. With an entire culture working against the lifestyle we're trying so hard to live, it's up to us to help and support our fellow vegans whenever possible. In other words, call me anytime!! Oh, and KEEP sounding like a vegan -- it sounds great!!
Brenda
Ericka has arrived!!!
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