Not everyone has the chutzpah to set up a table on the street and recruit vegans. To those of you who are willing, it can be incredibly empowering to find people do actually stop and listen, and some come back to find out more information.  Try setting up a table at a place that is likely to garner you some interest, such as a local farmer’s market or street fair. If it seems intimidating, take a friend along with you. Most such events have a wide variety of people with a wider still variety of viewpoints.  It only takes one person’s interest to make the whole day worthwhile.

If you prefer working behind the scenes, you can write letters to the editor, to your elected officials, and to store and shop owners, promoting a pro-vegan stance.  Use your letter to the editor to educate people about the cost of animal agriculture, the positive impacts of veganism, or address a pertinent issue with your representative.  To business owners, request the type of food (be specific) you would like to see them carry, refer to a recent experience either positive or negative regarding their business.

There are articles filled with misinformation about veganism and abolitionists. If you are so inclined, go onto those articles posted and leave comments. Each person that reads another positive, peaceful vegan comment may be educated a bit more about what veganism really means.

Go onto vegetarian or vegan forums and do the same; see who is struggling, has received misinformation, or feels becoming vegan is a daunting task.  Reaching out may be just the ticket to helping that person make the commitment to change.

Responding kindly to challenges helps keeps veganism part of the peace movement. While it may be difficult at times, it is usually more productive for the person challenging you to find a relaxed, confident, happy person overflowing with health and goodwill rather than a snarky, judgmental person overflowing with frustration. Not fair, I know, but there it is.

Opportunities to discuss veganism abound – When I go to the market, I invariably get comments from the checker or bag person about how healthy my purchases are, noting that they are all or nearly all produce.  I always smile broadly and say, “Yes, and look at how much food I get for very little money. Not only that, my cholesterol went down 100 points, and my conscience is lighter, too.”  If the person says, “Oh I would love to do that but it is too hard,” I offer a different perspective and suggest they just go vegan one meal at a time. One meal does not seem overwhelming, and it opens them up to possibilities.

Even a casual walk around the neighborhood or an outing to the park is an opportunity to mention your happy, healthy dogs.  When someone comments on how well they appear or all the energy they have, that is an invitation to let them know how well they are doing on a vegan diet, too.

Challenge corporations – Recently, some omni-subs (meat substitutions) began to add egg whites into formerly vegan products, while another company got rid of eggs, turning their vegetarian products into vegan products. I frequently write to companies to applaud or bemoan these types of changes and often write to others to request vegan recipes or vegan products, particularly if the product is near vegan and would be a hit with fellow vegans. I usually receive generous and thoughtful responses.  When I find a product labeled “vegan” in traditional markets, I usually will respond by saying “Thank You!” to the company for the labeling and the product.

Challenge schools – the public schools are not the healthiest place for children to eat and sadly receive some of the worst of the animal products in the world.  Our local schools and preschools do allow children to abstain from the usual mandatory milk by drinking water or juice.  I have spoken to the owners and administrators at the local private preschool and I found out from the County officials that a vegan preschool is acceptable as long as it meets the State nutritional guidelines.

Display at the library – If you are creative and prefer a quiet advocacy, speak to your local library about putting up a pro-animal or pro-vegan display.  Many libraries have glassed cases that they allow people to use just for this purpose.  I have done several on overpopulation and the environment, the impact on animals and habitats, and population projections.  Contact your local library and see what is possible if this type of advocacy interests you.

Wear vegan tee shirts - After recently purchasing a bright turquoise shirt that reads, “Life is Better Vegan!” I found that  I need to order more such tees!  These shirts can often get people talking just as I go about doing my weekly chores, shopping, or saying  hello to neighbors.  It is a quiet advocacy, because it gives visibility to veganism, keeps it in people’s minds, and often prompts further dialogue.

Think of yourself as a Vegan Ambassador.  It will make it easier to maintain civility, open dialogue, and remind yourself that you are from another culture, another world. By showing sensitivity and being available, you just might find someone reaching out. Clear, consistent vegan education is one of the best things any of us can do to help liberate animals from commodification.

After reading three books in a row about the horrors of factory farming, food safety, and the politics of the food industry, it has become apparent that some people within the vegan revolution have become fearful of veganism.  Moby, in his book, Gristle, admits to “softening” his approach, downplaying his veganism.  Jonathan Safran Foer, author of Eating Animals, takes a side step to vegetarianism and romances the humane meat movement, avoiding veganism altogether.  And Melanie Joy, in her book Why We Love Dogs, Eat Pigs and Wear Cows, never promotes veganism, preferring the term “veg*n” or “vegetarian,” in order to appeal to a wider audience.  As someone who was raised to be an omnivore, evolved into vegetarianism, and finally learned enough to become an ethical abolitionist vegan, I am left wondering — why all the fear of the “V” word?

Veganism and the Peace Sign

When I was a young woman, the sign of a “V” meant peace — two fingers (the index and middle finger) erect and apart at the nail, just like in American Sign Language “V.”  I would hope we would reinstitute the use of the “peace” sign, the “V” that also means the “V” word, veganism. Without peace for all, and that includes the animals, there will be peace for no one. In fact, at this time, there many not be much life left on planet earth unless we mend our ways.  Let’s start using the peace sign and stand out as vegans.

Vegetarianism as a Sign of Veganaphobia

I noticed on the site VeganWrites, a site for student activists, that Bruce Friedrich of PETA was getting rid of his Vegan tee shirts because the Vegetarian tees elicited much better response. I bet a BBQ tee would do better still here in Texas, but that would hardly be vegan education. If we believe in veganism, how will it ever become prevalent if even the vegans are afraid to talk about it?  What is behind this veganaphobia?  The student writing the article then quoted Foer, stating that we should ask people to take the first step, not the last, meaning vegetarianism. But vegetarianism is not the first step – it is a side step, one that still uses animals and their bodies for purely selfish reasons. It is also not a healthy stance not a moral stance, nor even an equivalent environmental stance.

Here is a quote from Bruce Friedrich, VP of PETA

I actually think that using the word “vegan” (other than perhaps with youth) may be counterproductive to helping animals, relative to using the word “vegetarian.” As a species, we are given to seeing things as “all or nothing,” and I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had discussions with people who write off making any changes because they believe they can’t go vegan.

Veganism is Clear

I would disagree.  Going vegan is much easier for many reasons. First of all, it is very clear – animals are not to be exploited, have intrinsic value and are not for human consumption.  Vegetarianism gets confusing for the general public. People bring you dead chickens or think it is acceptable to eat the secretions of animals or use their body parts in other products. Many people use the term vegetarian to indicate someone who eats fish and chicken as well as other animal products. This is not progress for the animals.

Second of all, veganism opens up an entire new world of food.  For me, going vegetarian meant giving something up, avoiding certain foods. Going vegan meant adding many, many things to my life. I became more sensitive to the animals around me, to the wealth of plant food, and to the joy of eating for the first time in my life. If I feel positive about being vegan, then when I discuss it with others it will shine through.

Third, it is much healthier for the individual and the planet. We can collectively feed more of us beings by eating plant food. We can save more of the rainforest and other forests. We can lower our cholesterol and, if we eat whole foods, get rid of most of the chronic diseases that plague modern man. We can reduce our carbon footprint and help stop global climate instability. And we can decrease the amount of violence, suffering, domination and subjugation in the world.

If there is this much confusion among vegans about the best approach towards educating the public, no wonder the public is so confused.

Sam Tucker and Gary Francione, Animal Abolitionists

While listening to one of my favorite podcasts, NZ Vegan Podcast, I was amazed at the solid, logical sound of a very young man, 13 years old at the time, who was on fire for animal rights and veganism.  Not only was he intelligent and well-spoken, he was doing something about the injustice he was witnessing.  Sam Tucker is that young man, now 14, and he is already an enterpreneur (having owned a tee-shirt business), a radio host (Food for Thought), a public speaker (at Animal Rights assemblies and on podcasts), and a successful animal rights advocate.  He is also a snowboarder and a musician.  Sam, as you can tell, does not let any moss grow under his feet.  He is part of a growing number of young people who are making enormous contributions to changing the way people think about animals, about food, and about the earth.

I am very fortunate that during my “research” phase of learning about the animal rights movement, I listened to some excellent, clear and consistent people who clarified things for me. To emphasize the point that promoting veganism via education need not be fear-inducing, there is Gary Francione and his Animal Rights: The Abolitionist Approach podcast for further clarification.

Animal Writes – To call yourself vegetarian or vegan

John Pizzarelli website

Fierce at Fourteen – profile of Sam Tucker

Book Review: Dr. Melanie Joy’s Why We Love Dogs, Eat Pigs, and Wear Cows

Food for Thought radio show

Animal Rights: The Abolitionist Approach Blog

Listening to Melanie Joy before reading her book left me perplexed: why would anyone who has researched the horrid state of affairs for animals take a “veg*n” stance rather than to simply promote veganism?  I first heard Dr. Joy speak in an interview with Rae Sikora and then next heard her speak, or more specifically, read her notes, on the ARZone forum chat.  In both places, Dr. Joy presented some interesting concepts but failed to take a stand for veganism, stating that she was trying to appeal to a wider audience. This seems to be the moral equivalent of being a dietary flexitarian – a widely acceptable position that doesn’t really stand for much of anything.

Starts on A Hopeful Note

Dr. Joy starts out with a clever title that captures the potential reader’s imagination — a good start.  Her explanation of Why We Love Dogs, Eat Pigs, and Wear Cows is based on some standard psychological theories — not surprising since Dr. Joy is a social psychologist and professor of sociology and psychology — and a term that is her own creation – carnism. Carnism is a term used to denote the speciesist ideology that permits human beings to commodify and consume animals. According to Dr. Joy, carnism is invisible and therefore, without terminology and presence, it is impossible to give it visibility. Her book is her attempt to do just that.

She starts out by imagining our possible distress if a friend served us stew that we are told was made with Golden Retriever — would we pick out the meat, feel sick, or eat it anyway? There are certainly more people who would understand this dilemma than those who would see that they are behaving in a morally confused way by continuing to cause billions of animals extreme suffering while “loving” animals. According to Dr. Joy’s theory, this is because of the invisible manifestations of the carnistic schema. She looks at the institutionalization of meat eating and challenges the “Meatocracy.”

Filled With Pertinent Information

While it is disappointing when an informed author lacks the will to stand up for ethical veganism, this author does nonetheless make several good points. She presents many statistics regarding the use of animals (70% of previously forested land in the Amazon is now pastures for livestock) and reveals much about the business of animal commodification. Profiled are the costs to workers in the slaughter industries, the failures in logic we humans struggle with to validate our choices to eat meat, and some of the horrific conditions under which animals live and die as commodities for human consumption. She discusses the reasons (normal, natural, necessary) that permit omnivores to continue their consumption of animals as products and examines the Cognitive Trio of objectification, deindividualization, and dichotomization as resources in maintaing the current animal exploitation. She talks about the myth of free will and looks at how early programming and even government-food industry alignment continues to promote carnism without our conscious awareness.  It is a slender volume that should not be intimidating to the average reader. It is thought-provoking, clear and well organized.

Dr. Joy’s Book Adds to the Moral Confusion

While her book may inform people who would otherwise not have delved into this arena, those readers will still not be likely to take appropriate steps towards the end of animal exploitation because Dr. Joy never gives the reader the appropriate information to do so. Promoting vegetarianism is not an improved moral stance, because it relies on the continued suffering and exploitation of animals, when there is a simpler, healthier and better way — veganism.  Dr. Joy goes mainstream and takes the easy way out, missing an opportunity to inform the public by choosing the way more palatable to potential readers.  By adding to the moral confusion that already exists in the mind of the public, she fails to move beyond the carnistic schema herself.

Lately there have been quite a few snarky articles denouncing the horror that is veganism and the people that promote it.  We are an insensitive lot, they relate, that try to force our will on unsuspecting omnivores, who want nothing but to be left alone with their personal choices.  One article denounced masked vegans who threw a cayenne-laced pie — evidently that reader did not understand that true vegans do not resort to violence, it is antithetical to a belief in non-exploitation, respect and non-violence; I would denounce them too.  Yes, some very well-know groups call themselves animal rights groups and they do use unsavory tactics like sexism and assaultive techniques, but most self-respecting vegans I know distance themselves from such organizations.

Another young woman, after insulting a vegan friend she had invited along for a campout who refused to eat animal products — well, she totally trashed her friend. Of course, it was this pesky vegan that was sooo difficult. Maybe she was, but was publicly trashing her the right way to work things out? This is a peaceful process?  Then followed an article that was a very sarcastic piece about how even eating plants was not kind so she would eat only fruit that fell from the tree, but then she would waste all those seeds so….maybe she would just quit eating.  Do these people think vegans have never heard this kind of nonsense before? I get an occasional tweet like that, you know the kind, “So you hate plants?”  “What about the death of carrots; don’t you care?” Really, is that the best you have in your mental arsenal?

This brings the strangest scenario to mind. When I was a young child, I can recall seeing grown adult men having to be held back from a tiny little girl trying to attend school in Alabama. I was horrified and mystified. What was wrong with these grown men to act so stupidly? How could they stand themselves?  I just heard that the little girl was praying for her tormenters; she said they needed it. Indeed.  But this was right before the old ugly business of Jim Crow was about to die and only a few decades before our first African American president was elected. I know this is hard for some folks to understand, but I was so overjoyed when that happened, I never thought I would live long enough to see it. We beat the drums and danced and wept for four hours. It was incredible. The old ugly was gone, or dying at least — the death throes of ugliness are never pretty.  And the meanest spirit and the worst of ignorance are raising their desperate destructiveness once again. I remember Ruby, that tiny little African-American child, so full of wisdom in the face of an entire culture set against her. I try to think peaceful thoughts to those who are promoting death and destruction, too.

Maybe all the fear, hatred and hanging onto dead culture and cruel tradition will end the same way, with people refusing to see what is all around them. Perhaps they will keep denying their own cruelty and complacency, and just want things to go as they always have (which is really only in very very recent history, but theirs nonetheless).  Maybe all this crankiness is a sign that this change too will happen rather rapidly.  We are ready for it, the animals are ready for it, the planet is ready for it.  But from what I know of the vegan community, the vegans who are thoughtful, non-violent abolitionists, will not waver.  They will keep trying to open eyes and let the personhood of each animal be seen and appreciated. They will continue to respect life and remain non-violent and as non-exploitative as they are able. They will keep a positive thought in mind for those misguided souls who so enjoy bashing us vegans.

I want to be fair, so here are the rules if you want to bash a vegan:

1) Explain how it will save the planet to use animal products.

2) Tell us how eating animal products is not causing an epidemic of obesity, heart disease and cancer.

3) Give a detailed account of how trapping, torturing and killing innocent living beings will help make the world a more peaceful place.

4) Let us know how your God wanted you to disrespect the creation he left in your care, how delighted he would be at the suffering and degradation you are causing.

5) Advance the cause of exploitation, whether it be child trafficking, sexism, gender stereotype and homophobia, racism, or speciesism. Explain how that improves the quality of life for the bulk of living entities. Or even your own.

6) Inform of us how personal choices can be made that affect only you and not the rest of the planet. How is it that eating another being has no impact on that being, on the waste he gives off, on the water and grain he consumes, on the life he must endure and the death he must experience?

7) Tell us where you are going to get the 5 or 6 other planet Earths that you will need for everyone else on the planet to eat as you choose to eat and live as you choose to live.

Most of us vegans are not omnivore bashers. Most of us love omnis up close and personal; some of us are even married to them. They are our parents, our siblings, our children. While we wish they would stop exploiting animals, we know that all we can do is provide information. We really have no concerns for what you eat, but we do care about whom you exploit.  So, vegan bashers, we will not bash back. We believe in respect. Really. We just want you to awaken.

Graphic by John Colvin

My four year old grandson told me, “I am a vegan boy.” He understands a little bit about veganism; I bought him Ruby Roth’s book, That’s Why We Don’t Eat Animals, and I read it to him when asks me to read it.  He told me yesterday that, “my parents eat animal projects.”  I knew he meant products; his mum told him that “the animals feed us.”  (Not willingly, though.) He is trying to make sense of the difference in how I eat and how the rest of his family eats.  Sometimes, he is peeved with me, for not buying him the cheese he wants.  Other times, he is peeved with his parents, because he senses their choices are harming animals. He happily eats vegan food and loves the animals he has come to know, but he eats what is put before him at preschool and at home. I do not proselytize, but I do answer his questions as honestly and briefly as I am able.  I think most children would be appalled at what is done to animals if they knew. He only knows a little but it does have him thinking. It has me thinking, too.

Trying to be an ethical vegan grandmother is not an easy task.  He calls me Bubba, and recently decided that only Bubbas are vegan.  That seemed to settle it, for a while at least. I have told him that when he is older, he can decide how to eat for himself, but for now, he needs to eat what his parents provide for him.  Luckily his father requested a vegan cookbook for Christmas and he is on soymilk, not cow’s milk. His father tries some of my vegan recipes; he is one of my tasters and is eating more vegan meals than omnivore meals.  His father has been an animal lover most of his life and used to volunteer at the animal shelter. Like many Americans, he is unable to connect his consumer choices with his view of caring for animals. My grandson, though, is already questioning some of the hypocrisy in the adults around him, including me.  Young children often see so clearly what the rest of us just accept.

His older brother is nine and does not spend as much time with me. His culinary tastes are distinctly more limited, and he balks at vegan fare, except banana bread, strawberry ice cream, and a few other acceptable items like spaghetti and noodles. He is unwilling to try new foods, something his parents are working on at the moment to increase his culinary parameters. His little brother recently said to him, “You are not a vegan boy,” to which the elder said, “Neither are you.”  I can only hope that being an out and proud vegan will continue when he can make those choices for himself.  And I hope that the vegan world is there for him to appreciate, too.

I later learned it was a conjoint birthday party, including the birthday of the fishing grandpa.  The boat ride lasted an exceptionally long time, and the returning mariners ended up needing to have dinner about 7 pm.  There was nothing for me, so it was suggested I come over when they were done, about 8:30 pm.  By then, having been up since about 4:30 am, and not feeling terribly welcome, I decided to wait until the next day to give my grandson his gifts. It had been a long day and I did not yet know that it was a conjoint gathering. Had I known, I would have come by to pay my respects to the adults who were celebrating, but I did not yet know. And fourth birthdays have special significance in our family, so at the time, it was a disappointment.

The next day the little one came over with his brother and his father and opened up his gifts.  I had a treasure map to find the pirate ship I purchased for him; he had to search through clues in a half dozen different places to find his gifts.  He and his older brother had a great time.  He said something to me about fishing; I didn’t realize his grandfather would be bringing a little fishing pole for him.  He mentioned that the fish had something red in his mouth.  I asked if it was blood; he said it was a tongue or something, he wasn’t sure, but he made a face.  He didn’t like fishing; he asked me if I liked fishies. I said yes, I like them alive and swimming around and being free. End of conversation and on to playing with his new gifts.

My grandson will have to decide for himself how he feels about bugs and fish and other creatures.  He shows great empathy around me but is adaptable to his circumstances.  I asked my son to please have a birthday for him that did not include harming any animals, but I did not sense much support; at times I think my beliefs about compassion offend the entire world.  I know that missing family gatherings because of vegan values is a common occurrence, but it is painful nonetheless. I think it is indicative of how frequently animals pay the price for human desires, because I know how frequently I am not included in things in life. I try to find ways to participate, to not leave my son in an awkward position because of my beliefs, without compromising my own values. I can only hope there will be more vegans by the time my little grandson grows up – he loves anything vegan, even me. I hope there will be a world left for him to grow into, a kinder world, where other people, other animals are respected and treated with kindness.  Meanwhile, I will miss the party if it includes harming other individuals, be they finned, feathered, or furred. It is a small price to pay to respect my fellow inhabitants.

I am a vegan because animals have feelings.

I am an animal and believe I should treat other animals the way I would like to be treated.

I believe I should not do to others what I do not want done to me.

I do not want to be trapped, hunted, imprisoned, slaughtered, tortured, disrespected, shot, skinned alive or eaten.

Becoming vegan has meant:

• meeting a world of intelligent people
• creating an international community of compassion
• lowering my cholesterol 100 points, while eating anything I want
• lowering the cost of groceries
• having better relationships with the animals around me
• opening my eyes to things I would have missed
• enjoying food for the first time
• loving to cook for the first time
• blogging
• new friends
• fighting for justice
• discovering animal sanctuaries
• renewed respect for the natural world
• awareness of what we are doing to ourselves, to the planet
• grief, because of what I know
• solace, because of what I can do

If anyone is interested about becoming vegan, there are lots of resources out there to help you. I am one of them; write to me.  Join with all of us vegans on this important day. Save the animals, save the planet, save other humans.

When we got to the beautiful gardens, it was only misting, but I received a call that the professor had decided to cancel the class – great timing, after being on the road for almost an hour! So we decided to go ahead and shoot our photos and call it a day – and a field trip. The lovely wet weather was perfect for photography; I took many misty photos with clean, green foliage. I even found a spot where I could place my camera on a post and get a slow shutter speed effect to allow lots of light and motion into the shot. I shot waterfalls, Japanese architecture, flowers, fountains. We has plastic bags over our cameras to protect them, and it did keep raining pretty hard intermittently, but I was glad to get the assignment behind me and get back home – I had articles to write.

On the way back, my very kind fellow student wanted to stop for lunch. I knew then that my cover would be lost – I would have to tell her I was vegan. I told her, among other things, that I was not particular and could find something to eat most anywhere. Her comment was thus: “On no, you aren’t particular, you just have the entire kitchen working to make you something to eat.”  That was in response to a recent situation I shared, when my son invited me to go to lunch with him at On the Border, a Mexican restaurant that had nothing on the menu that was animal-free. I asked to speak with the restaurant manager and gave him my business card, explaining that I write for a dot com and would like to review his restaurant from a vegan perspective. He was lovely and brought out some food that probably required little effort and was most appreciated by this vegan: shredded lettuce, tomatoes, avocado in tortillas with lime cilantro rice and delicious black beans. The manager/owner seemed to appreciate the challenge and I certainly appreciated being able to eat.   It seemed like a win-win and allowed me to let this restaurateur know that we vegans exist and to let vegans in the area know they will be accommodated at this restaurant. Let me set this up: this is cattle country, this is the area of barbecue and steak. I once went to a luncheon where there was not a single item I could eat. But there are over 400 vegans in the local DFW vegan meetup, so we vegans exist. And our numbers are growing. Still, the attitude in the comment seemed a bit hostile, but I let it go. This was a very nice woman; she had even brought a bottle of water along for me, in case I got thirsty.

Throughout the entire lunch, there were comments about meat. She would not eat a bison burger but her family member would – she could not bear to think about the dead bison. (I guess cows, pigs, chickens have no nerve endings and do not feel.) She told me that she doesn’t think chickens are very smart as if that made it okay to harm them. I interjected that it wasn’t about how smart they were but if they could feel. Right over that comment she went into a dialogue about meat again while I tried to change the subject. It was hard to face my vegetarian vegetable soup and my whole grain cracker,  with images of slaughterhouses running through my mind.  I said that I became vegan when I found out what happens to animals and my bet was that most people would become vegan if they knew the truth.  She said she could appreciate someone standing up for what they believe just so they don’t try to change her. Time to change the subject again: How about that rain? Imagine that guy canceling on us? And two of the students had taken off work to attend. Bet were they mad! What on earth was going through her mind that forced her to discuss meat, a topic I obviously find abhorrent?  Defensiveness, amusement at my oddity? Trying to figure it all out? I was perplexed.

When I returned home, I was left feeling relieved but a bit discouraged. I realize that there is no way for someone to know what I now know, not instantly anyway.  Everyone has to find their own answers in their own time.  Learning to walk the fine line between being obnoxious and encouraging someone to think outside their large enclosed box is challenging.  There were political comments and religious comments that made me wince – I did not line up in any way.  Still, I could tell she was trying, and for a Texan, she was moderate.  At least she did not try exorcising my demons or any of that, and she did not offer to pray for me, as others have done in the past.  She seemed like a good person. But I felt like I was unprepared, like there was something I could have said or done that would have given her more information or made a bigger impact. She did offer to call me again to go photoshooting; maybe getting to know a real vegan would make the biggest impact of all, as long as that vegan is not too over the top. Where is the line? It left me thinking…

A few days later, I was invited to go out again with the same fellow student. This time the weather was perfect, and I got shots of two turtles, bees, butterflies, dragonflies, flowers, trees, brooks – a great photoshoot.  It was a wonderful break from nose-to-the-computer-grindstone that comprises most of my time these days.  When she offered to take me to lunch, her treat, I told her to select wherever she wanted; I can always find something to eat.  But instead, she went out of her way to suggest a soup and salad bar where she knew I would be accommodated (SouperSalad).  It was a far better experience than my first meal and such a gracious gesture – and not a word about meat or my weird eating habits.  Given how few vegans are in this part of Texas, I can imagine how shocking my stance must have seemed.  But my colleague had time to reflect and I was touched by her graciousness. This time, I returned home, feeling slightly elated and very affirmed.  I didn’t feel like an outcast or an oddity; I felt accepted and appreciated. At times, it really pays to take a deep breath and let the chips fall where they may.  Beyond the veganism, we even found a few things we shared.  It was a lesson for me in patience, towards myself as well as others. I hope her attitude towards vegans has changed as positively as my attitude towards omnivores and Texans!

I keep thinking I am a vegan. I respect animal life as well as human life and try to make decisions that will preserve the planet by limiting population growth, recycling, avoiding consumption of animal products, and helping to educate those around me while simultaneously, being educated by those further on the path.  I have used cloth shopping bags for a long time; I recycle, I compost. I have come to realize that due to meat-eating’s acceptance, a mountain of dead animals has created markets for every scrap of their dead bile, tissues, ligaments, bones…and those markets have made a pervasive use of these products prevalent in our society. What is truly distressing is to find out how much of my own home is a graveyard to animals.

When I was a vegetarian for many years, I had no idea that milk, cheese and eggs leave a trail of blood. One of the most upsetting aspects of using these products is learning that they kill babies – day old perfectly healthy and precious little male chicks are tossed down chutes like pieces of used tissues to their death, sometimes being ground up while still alive; newborn calves are torn from their distraught mother cows to be stored in veal crates until slaughter at a few months of age; piglets are abused in factory farms or used for lab experiments and shipped off in wooden crates like they are widgets. Luckily for me and my conscience, I never liked cow’s milk and couldn’t tolerate it; and I always thought eggs were gross. My biggest sin, or so I thought, was love of parmesan cheese, which I did keep on hand. So when I decided to go vegan, that was all I thought I needed to change – no more buying dairy parmesan.

I did make an assessment of my home – noticing the tag noted some leather in one of the chairs, and a wool coat that would need to be replaced. Because I wear a small sized shoe, I have not found replacements for all of my heels, but most of them are pleather anyway. The pair of leather sandals quickly made its way into the bag for the local mission. I found a couple of great sources for vegan soap and have found affordable vegan shampoo and even laundry soap at Whole Foods Market. Hand lotion, ditto. Makeup – do not use much. Lip balm is from a vegan vendor. Toothpaste- vegan. But contact lens solution? Dish soap? What does not have animal ingredients seems to have been tested on animals, so it is off the list as well. It takes time to be a savvy consumer; even armed with my long list of ingredients which come from animals, I occasionally make a miss, although less and less so.

But I am a drummer. I have some vegan drums, but many of my drums were purchased long before my awakening. Even then, I questioned the animal skins and was too willing to accept that the animals were killed for meat, the skins were by-products. Now, I no longer want to “play” on the bodies of dead animals. I can replace the heads on some and will sell the others to pay for the new heads. It takes time. I do not want them in my home though. It already feels like a horror show for animal bodies. Film? It uses a chemical made from animals. Nail polish? Same answer. And all those plastics and bags- a real horror for wildlife. Beware the palm oil, coconut oil – deforestation, you know.

Okay, no meat, no cheese, no dairy…but there are dead animal parts in jelly beans, gummy bears, chocolate (some). Who really needs that junk anyway? Vegan cheese is not animal friendly either. As to chocolate, I do not want to support child slavery, so it needs to be fair-traded. Vegan labelling would be a good idea, but meanwhile I do not kvetch about researching what I buy – it is so very important to vote with my few dollars that I do so gladly. I just wish I wasn’t voting on incorrect information quite so much. And then there is the vegan cat syndrome – what is fair? What is ethical? I made the purchase of ingredients for homemade vegan cat food complete with taurine and fresh catnip, home grown. My cat would prefer to eat a dead bug. I still do not have that one figured out but have reached a compromise – my neighbors bring her scraps which she loves (they are eating more vegetarian and I do send vegan food over so it has a dual purpose). Meanwhile, she is healthy as she ages (the cat). For me, I would prefer not to have any dead animals in my home, just living ones.

When my mother died, she left behind a very costly mink coat. It was another era, but it always made me sick. So that was, as agreed by all my siblings, sent to an animal charity to try to give back to animals. But even my animal charities have changed. I used to support HSUS and PETA; I no longer support any group that supports vegetarianism rather than veganism because it shifts the suffering to the animal babies and helps people with an ethical bent feel like they are doing the right thing, when most of them would be horrified to learn the truth. I also do no support charities that practice sexism and have been rather zealous in euthanizing large numbers of animals. And I avoid charities that are constantly sending me “stuff” that I do not want – my mailbox is full of dead trees while I am trying to help the environment.  I find it difficult to support welfarists because they seem to think only some animals are worthy of assistance. Here is an example: I just received an invitation to a concert that was a fundraiser for animals – taking place at Ye Old Butcher Shoppe. I am not joking; they are serving slaughtered and barbecued animals to support “pets.” I had to write to them and voice my horror; surprisingly, I received a nice response stating they were going to do a coffee sale later on. But I do not think they got the irony. And I am sure they still think some animals are walking steaks and others have feelings and need protection. This is Texas, after all, cattle and cowboy country.  One has to be patient.

So here is where I am. I no long want to sit on dead animals, eat dead animals, rub their dead secretions all over my face and legs, wash in it, wear it, or play on it.  If you opened up my fridge, you would see a plethora of beautiful fresh produce, something I never thought I could afford.  And if you opened up my veins, you would find about 100 points less cholesterol.  I do not want my body or my home to be graveyards for dead animals. So I may not be all the way there yet, but I am on my journey towards becoming a better vegan.  I am sure it will be a lifelong journey, and I am grateful I am travelling this road. You meet some of the nicest creatures on this path – both animal and human.  Thanks for letting me tag along…

The second phase of my work with the dietitian resulted in a more stringent diet.  It was a very limited eating program, further restricting my already -restricted food choices.  But I persevered, and yaHOO – I got the cholesterol down to 248.  Eventually, I was able to get it down to 210, grimacing the whole way.  It seemed prudent to give up anything resembling good food in order to, well, be able to LIVE.

It was a delight when I became vegan and discovered food for the first time.  Food, glorious food – fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, seeds, and spices, seasonings and sauces.  Never had I enjoyed eating and never, ever had I enjoyed cooking, like I did when I became vegan. I had given up eating dairy products for a while many years before, but never fully knew what it was to be a vegan.  I started reading labels and avoiding anything that used animals in the product.  I started becoming a vegan.

This week I went in for another cholesterol test, hoping it would not be over the previous 280 mark. I had been learning to cook various yummy dishes and was not watching my diet at all –  purposefully.  I wanted to get a baseline count on my cholesterol before I started avoiding any specific food again.  I had even given up plant stearols (found in butter replacements) and instead used a delicious vegan spread, with abandon.  I admit it – I was indulgent. I even ate blueberry cobbler the night before the test.

I am thrilled to report my cholesterol was only 181! I never thought I could break the 200 barrier without medication.  Imagine – doing what is humane, environmentally sound, socially responsible, healthy and economical, and then getting this medical benefit out of the blue!!  Bye Bye Cholesterol – Hello Vegan Cuisine!!