So I'm Thinking Of Going Vegan

being vegan means many things

It means, if nothing else, that you are a witness.

On a continual basis, you are bearing witness to the cruelty and atrocity waged on innocent sentient beings, and while that may sound passive, it really isn't. Seeing, recognizing and acknowledging what others refuse to see, is the first step in changing reality.

Being vegan also means that you're a humanist and a feminist. A human rights advocate, animal rights advocate, a poverty advocate, and a peace advocate. In short, and to sum it all up, YOU are a truth advocate.

You're a student and a teacher, learning and imparting knowledge as you go. You may be a mentor and/or mentee, a mover and a shaker, and some of you are even leaders.

You're an artist and a rebel, a dreamer and a visionary (What is now proved was once, only imagin’d. --William Blake), and a poet.

You're an optimist, an idealist, and a realist all rolled into one.

You're a gardener. Literally, if you happen to grow your own veggies or flower beds, or figuratively as you plant seeds of compassion and change. You're an environmentalist, championing the cause of our host planet and ALL her guests. You're even a nutritionist of sorts, as you pay more attention to what your body needs than most.

You're a warrior for all sentient beings, plus a conscientious objector to the unholy and horrific war on animals.

You're an intersectionist, deconstructionist, and systems analyst as you figure out how justice issues intersect, and how different political, economic and cultural forces collide and collude in keeping oppression alive.

You may be tired, or suffer from compassion fatigue, or even PTSD as unrelenting cruelty will affect anyone trying to make this world a better place. What you are NOT though, is crazy (although living in an insane world can certainly be crazy making), and you are definitely not a domestic terrorist no matter what the real terrorists may claim.

What you ARE is strong, and motivated, and perhaps even a bit of a hero.

So don't ever think of yourself as just a vegan.

Because you're not.

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listening to your body -- vegan style

Back in March (um, where did April go?) I discussed the phrase listen to your body, so now I'd like to talk about listening to your body vegan style. What does that mean? It means that if you're going to "listen to your body" you listen to your head, your heart, and your feet, all from a vegan perspective. From top to bottom:

Head

Use your head. Another phrase you're no doubt familiar with, but an important one for vegans contemplating abandoning their convictions. I'm assuming you became vegan at least in part because of information your brain processed regarding animal use and abuse. Visual and numerical data made you pay attention. A shift in consciousness occurred because you allowed this data to not only be added to what you already knew, but to change how you felt and behaved.

So why ignore this accumulated body of knowledge when you're tempted to stray from the vegan path? Is your position that what you know about animal suffering and death doesn't matter? Or that this cruelty matters less than your own appetite? And why not take advantage of all the useful information out there? If concerns about health are really at the heart of your wavering commitment to animal justice, then why not seek out the expertise from professional vegan dieticians? I mentioned Jack and Ginny in the post referred to above, but what I admire about their approach is how they don't shy away from what vegans might not like to hear. Their philosophy is science above wishful thinking, and that makes me trust what they have to say. If I actually felt that my nutritional needs were being compromised by my vegan intake, I wouldn't hesitate to consult them before reverting back to a diet that harms others.

Don't want to contact them? Then do research on your own from other qualified sources. And part of proper research is determining IF your sources are qualified. What's their background? Their funding sources? Are they employed or supported by any organizations that profit from animal use?

Heart

While information is invaluable, it's pretty useless if your heart isn't open to receive it. You can throw all the scientific and well-documented data about animal use/abuse at someone, but if they're not ready to hear it, then they just won't make the connection. Receiving behaviour-changing information involves two organs: heart and brain. Both need to be receptive. (One of the reasons activists keep plugging away is that we can't know when and how the seeds we plant may eventually become fertile.) But you're vegan already, so your heartstrings were successfully tugged at and reached before. Why discard what your heart feels now? Compassion is what likely drove you to become vegan in the first place. Has that well of empathy really dried up?

Feet

Wondering what feet have to do with any of this? Becoming vegan changed your vision. It allowed you to see the injustice of how we treat other sentient beings, each other included. Your feet became more firmly planted in the knowledge of how our various economic, health, political, social, and legal organizations intersect to continue justifying and profiting from animal use.

So don't let your feet do a runner when it comes to vegan consciousness. Stay put, my friend, and utilize ALL of your bits and parts to keep listening to your body vegan style!

listen to your body

When was the last time you listened to your body? I'm not trying to be sarcastic here, but whenever I come across the phrase, "I listened to my body" online, it invariably seems to lead to the author admitting that they're no longer vegan. And it's annoying.

So I began thinking about those five little words a bit more. Because on the surface of it, it makes sense. If your body is telling you that you're tired, you should rest. If your body hurts, the pain is telling you that something is wrong. Just like the emotions of being sad, mad or scared tells you that something is out of whack; either you've suffered a loss, feel an injustice has been done, or are being alerted to danger. In short, your emotions are useful tools worth listening to.

But in general we don't tend to listen to our bodies all that much. Or that well. How many of us get enough sleep? Shut off the TV as soon as we get bored? Or keep on doing what we're doing even though we're sore? Then why do our listening skills fly out the window when our body is telling us to get more exercise? Or to eat more greens? Why don't our bodies tell us more clearly that we shouldn't be pumping it full with excess sugar, fat, alcohol, caffeine, nicotine or other drugs? Or do we just not want to listen?

So why do we then all of a sudden listen very carefully when we think our bodies are telling us to dump our vegan ideals? Why do we pay close attention when we think we hear our body say, "I want meat! I want eggs! I want dairy! And I want them now." Selective hearing? Because how often do we really hear the phrase "listen your body" otherwise? Just saying. 

And I would advise those who believe their body is telling them to forget about plants to make sure they're getting enough calories, protein, carbs and healthy fats, because being deficient in those can indeed cause cravings. I would also suggest they contact a trained professional like registered dietitians Ginny Messina or Jack Norris. I, for one, wouldn't hesitate to get their advice if my flesh was telling me to ditch my ideals.

Lastly, but I'd say most importantly, why is "listening to the bodies" of other animals thrown out the window when your own body seems to speak? And unless you always pay attention and follow through when it offers truly helpful advice, why listen now? 

p.s. I wasn't going to post today. I had no intention of doing any writing, but something "spoke" to me while I was sitting on my butt, so I decided to listen. ;)

the road to vegan happiness

The grand essentials to happiness in this life are something to do, something to love, and something to hope for. --JOSEPH ADDISON

So does this mean that vegans are the happiest humans on earth? Snort. Because boy do we have enough to do, enough to be passionate about (including enough someones to love), and hopefully have enough belief that change will happen. But happy? I try to be, but am not quite sure I can truly say I've become happier since becoming vegan. Being vegan brings with it a mixed bag of emotions, and while being vegan is generally much healthier, there are days where I think I can literally feel my blood pressure going through the roof while reading about yet another atrocity. For someone who still struggles with anger issues from pre-vegan days, anger specifically related to the abominable use and treatment of other sentient beings is another form of anger that rises up almost daily. And underneath that anger is sadness and fear. Sadness at the amount of unacceptable and seemingly unlimited pain needlessly suffered at human hands, and the fear that it can't or won't be stopped quickly or wholly enough. 

And what about the sentient beings we're fighting for? What about their happiness? If the author of the above quote is right, then what about all the animals who don't have something to do? Who don't get to exercise their basic right to do what their species is meant to do? Who are physically confined so that they literally don't have a choice? Who are prevented from having something or someone to love? Who can't possibly have any hope other than perhaps of having their miserable existence ended sooner rather than later? Why shouldn't their right to happiness be as inalienable as ours?

And is it selfish of vegans to want to be happy despite the massive suffering we are witness to? How do we reconcile happiness and grief? How do we continue to be effective activists amidst the emotional flux of anger, sadness and fear swirling all around or inside us? How do we be strong activists for life and prevent burnout, compassion or even vegan fatigue? How do we find that right mix of hope, inspiration, action (vegan + nonvegan), and rest that will serve not only ourselves but also others?

As usual, I have more questions than answers...

being vegan is like being pregnant

Either you are, or you aren't.

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Um, no, I don't agree with that. Because while it's true that you can't be pregnant-ish, you most certainly CAN be vegan-ish, and that's exactly what we have to encourage folk to move towards if they aren't ready to embrace veganism whole hog, so to speak. (A speciesist phrase no doubt, but also a good example of how animal use and abuse is so embedded in our language.)

And while I understand the appeal of this pithy saying, I don't think it's terribly helpful in trying to get more people to adopt a vegan path. It also reflects a rigid and dichotomous black-or-white, either/or way of thinking that personally drives me nuts. You can't force veganism on someone else, so wouldn't it be better to help people discover how some of their values align with veganism already? Wouldn't it be more effective to let them discover their inner vegan, if you will? I want people to aspire to be part of the vegan movement even if they're not quite ready yet to go the whole distance. I want them to at least HAVE vegan ideals. So how is an either you're 100% in, or we'll consider you 100% out approach useful? Sure, it may foster certain group cohesion, but don't we want our small (and sometimes clique-like) group to grow? Even if it means messy imperfection and folk disagreeing about labels, I want ALL of us to want to use V words: vegan, veganish, veganist, vegan-in-progress, mostly vegan, veggie, vegetarian. Hurray for them all I say! :)

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Two other vegan phrases I also find annoying (although I'm sure there's more, snort) and may address in future include:

• ex-vegans were never vegan to begin with
• the world is vegan if you want it

to be what we are

(Julia's piglets asleep at Farm Sanctuary)

To be what we are, and to become what we are capable of becoming, is the only end of life. --ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON

I believe that. And because billions of other sentient beings are denied that basic right, their birthright if you will, it should behoove us humans to become the best we can be.

welcome to 2013

Welcome to the first day of the New Year. Welcome to the first of 365 days where you can make a real difference. Whether newly vegan or a seasoned activist, today is the day where you can improve your health, the health of the environment, and most important of all, the health and happiness of other sentient beings who share our planet. Today is a fresh day of a fresh year, but every day of the next 364 days is a chance to wipe the slate clean and start anew.

The framework for this endeavour is love and compassion. For ourselves (yes, we may stumble), each other (no one is perfect), the innocent beings who suffer mightily at the hands of our supposedly superior species, and even (as hard as it may be) the ones who knowingly or unknowingly inflict such suffering. What would love do is a question that can guide us as we try to make the world better.

Joy may thus seem like a frivolous component when there's so much animal (both human and non-human) suffering going on, but without the lightness and hope that joy brings, it's too easy to get swallowed up in the pain and darkness that most of us confront daily. It would be wise for us to remember that many of us humans are drawn in part to other beings because they instinctively know how to live in the moment, how to derive pleasure and joy in the ordinary activities of living. Some of us may kid ourselves into thinking that we are more advanced, but we would do well to learn from those we denigrate.

You may have asked yourself upon reading my series of previous posts what excitement had to do with being vegan. In short, life's too short to be without it. In my own particular case, coming up with new ideas is when I feel most fully alive and is one of my biggest sources of satisfaction. The point here isn't what actually excites you (like feelings, they're neither right nor wrong), but how you apply your passions to making things better. There's lots of ways activists can contribute to animal well-being, and doing what you're good at, what you en(joy), and what gives you energy, is the surest way to become and stay involved. After all, we're in this for the long run!

What can YOU do? Well, lots. And it's up to you to decide how others will be best served. There's a plethora of skills, interests and knowledge that's needed and for you to draw upon. The key is doing what personally draws you in and what you find satisfying and sustaining. Don't make the mistake though of trying to do too much, thinking you can or should do everything. You can't, and any attempt will backfire. I even sometimes wonder if some of the ex-vegan spectacular about-face stories are the result of burnout. Can't do what I thought I could, so won't do anything at all. The aim here is balance. Be a super duper activist if that's what you want, but don't let it be your whole life. In other words, don't live in a vegan bubble. It won't help them at all, nor you.

Laughter, like joy or excitement, may seem superfluous as well when lives are at stake, but it really isn't. If you're going to try to take care of others, you need to take care of yourself as well. Laughter releases endorphins, releases and provides energy, and is vital especially because of the often-grim nature of what we face and do. A sense of humour is key, even more so because of the stereotype that vegans don't have one! 

Gratitude, as talked about in the prior post (can't believe I forgot to mention Vegg by the way!), can grease the activist engine so to speak. Building upon gains and successes develops confidence and stamina, having a supportive vegan community (even if only online) strengthens your resolve to keep doing what you're doing. And what you're doing is creating a vegan world. Slowly perhaps, but it's becoming more visible, more real and more concrete year by year. You're part of an historical movement (future generations may say with pride that you were the first in their family to go vegan) that will one day change the world forever. And the lives of her inhabitants.

Being a fan of Seth Godin (does that make me a godinite?), I'd like to end with a few questions he raised in his blog post today:

A year ago today, do you remember where you stood?

Are you more trusted? More skilled? More connected to people who care about your work?

How many people [sentient beings] would miss your work if you stopped contributing it? *

Today is the first day of 365 fresh days. So enjoy, and use wisely.

p.s. after drafting this post, I of course stumbled upon a book that covers what I tried to convey here, but likely more convincingly and probably better written -- check it out: The Lifelong Activist: How to Change the World Without Losing Your Way

* ironically, as I was typing those words, I received an unsubscription notification from a long-time blog reader, snort, so my final tip would be to stay humble! ;)

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what would love do?

Is perhaps the first (only?) question we need to ask.

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my temptation with eggs

So here's what happened.

Of course I know eggs are cruel. This is why I haven't bought or consumed them for over four years, and am careful to check ingredients to make sure that egg isn't included. But eggs were the last and hardest thing for me to give up (dairy? cheese? meat? no problem!) and the one item I actually missed.

Fast forward four years and I'm at my uncle's place discussing eggs and the awful reality of factory farming while admiring the beautiful chickens that seem to be quite content as we walk among them. They're busy taking dust baths, and conversing with each other and clearly not afraid of this man who seems to be taking good care of them. Lots of space to move around, an enclosure to protect them from the elements (the coop is closed at night for predators), perches galore, water and food. My uncle is quite proud that he treats the birds well, and that he doesn't force them to lay the eggs he takes. Eggs, as he rightly points out, that are usually produced under horrible conditions because people want them cheaply. Eggs that he gives with me because he understands why I protest commercial eggs and how animals are treated and used.

And I have to admit that I take the eggs home. Put them in my fridge and think of how much I have missed soft-boiled eggs (I know, even the thought is revolting to many of you!), and imagine being able to eat one of these brown beauties. They stay in my fridge for a few days, tempting me every time I open the door, and I confess to wanting to eat them. I think about how the chickens don't seem to mind the eggs being taken, about how they're clearly cared for, and about how if I was ever able to rescue chickens and let them live out their natural lives unencumbered that surely they wouldn't mind me taking a few eggs (I wouldn't if I noticed them becoming upset) in exchange for their upkeep, so to speak? I even email a friend as I continue to hem and haw.

But then I remember asking my uncle what eventually happens to these delightful birds, and him admitting that they go into the soup pot. After only about two years. Two! And then I also remember walking into a barn and seeing the cutest little rabbits and for a fleeting moment thinking they were pets before realizing they probably were being raised for meat, and I know what I have to do. The eggs go to my mom's fridge (at age 85 she puts up with my "craziness" but most certainly isn't willing to give up animal products herself) and I let my uncle know thanks, but no thanks. Because what kind of message would I be giving him? And what of my resolution not to be a participant in this animal-dismissing madness?

Still miss eggs though, so what does this former egg-lover do? Gets on her computer and orders herself three packets of Vegg and now happily dips her toast in soft yellow goop without any of the guilt, snort. Plus, even though scrambled eggs were never my thing before, I now absolutely love mixing Vegg with scrambled medium-firm tofu -- yum!

But this whole incident also got me thinking about the pressures and expectations of being vegan, and of ex-vegans as well. What would have happened had I given in to temptation? Would that have undone everything I have tried to do these last four years? Would I have been stripped of my vegan title? And by whom? Is temptation itself enough to render one no longer vegan? Would posting about it have been folly? Is posting about even being tempted foolish? And is it possible that some vegans become ex-vegan because they feel they shouldn't slip up even once? That even one mistake is so bad they'll be crucified by other vegans? (Odd, by the way, given that veganism is supposed to be about compassion.) That if you can't be "perfect" you might as well give up completely and revert to your carnivorous ways? What do you think?

thanksliving

This weekend Canadians celebrate the holiday that makes me so sad. I've talked about the fowl/foulness of this day before, and where I feel turkeys really belong, but today I'd like to talk about the word Thanksgiving itself. It's the second part of the word "giving" that I find quite confusing as this holiday has so much to do with taking instead. How can we demonstrate "thanks" by taking the lives of so many? Do people really think that millions of turkeys are giving up their lives willingly? We talk about give and take as a practice of compromise, but when it comes to animals, why are we doing all the taking and they the giving? 

Why can't we give thanks by letting beings live? What would be a better act of gratitude than appreciating all the wondrous species that cohabitate the planet Earth? Why don't we celebrate Thanksliving instead?

This prayer by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau has been circulated widely, but it's beautiful, and so appropriate for a holiday that spells horror for many:

My hope is that we can navigate through this world and our lives with the grace and integrity of those who need our protection. May we have the sense of humor and liveliness of the goats; may we have the maternal instincts and protective nature of the hens and the sassiness of the roosters. May we have the gentleness and strength of the cattle, and the wisdom, humility and serenity of the donkeys. May we appreciate the need of community as do the sheep and choose our companions as carefully as do the rabbits. May we have the faithfulness and commitment to family of the geese, the adaptability and affability of the ducks. May we have the intelligence, loyalty and affection of the pigs and the inquisitiveness, sensitivity, and playfulness of the turkeys.

My hope is that we learn from the animals what it is we need to become better people.

from Vegan's Daily Companion: 365 Days of Inspiration for Cooking, Eating, and Living Compassionately, Day 310, p. 263

p.s. Unfortunately I was too late with writing a letter to the editor asking folk to consider celebrating the holiday in a more living way, but did manage to slap a few "New Vegan Age" stickers (thanks, Tom!) on a couple of butcher shop windows in town.

are fruits vegan?

Snort. Of course they are. (A pepper, by the way, although often confused with a vegetable, is definitely a fruit.) And even though I thought the question quite funny, I clearly had not explained veganism well enough to a certain family member. So, to make up for it, I will now list ALL foods (starting with fruit) that are vegan:

• apples
• oranges
• pears
• bananas
• peaches
• cherries
• strawberries
• blueberries
• raspberries
• potatoes
• squash
• beets
• turnips
• kale
• broccoli
• cauliflower
• peas
• lentils
• kidney beans
• black beans
• navy beans 
• chickpeas
• tomatoes
• tomato juice
• tomato sauce
• rice
• barley
• oats
• quinoa
• nuts
• seeds
• bread
• crackers
• pasta
• peanut butter
• jam
• ketchup
• mustard
• relish
• tea
• coffee
• juice
• tofu
• tempeh
• soymilk
• almond milk
• dark chocolate
• chips
• popcorn
• ...

Well, as you can see, this completely incomplete list would get so incredibly long if I actually listed every vegan food that it would take forever to write or read. The point here is that with so many vegan foods the question of "What do you eat?" is pretty ridiculous, and more importantly, everyone already eats vegan food every single day. So tell that to someone the next time they swear they wouldn't ever touch vegan food, snort.

it's a mammary mad world

Boobs are weird. Well, what I mean to say is that how society views women's breasts is completely cockeyed. Yes, they can be a source of pleasure (both for a woman herself and her chosen partners), but when it comes to their most important biological function we quickly enter taboo territory. Breastfeeding? Okay, but preferably not visibly, and most certainly not in public. Breastfeed for more than 6-12 months? Hmmm, that's too controversial* because what are breasts actually for?

They can be ogled, Googled (ha, now I get where they REALLY got their name from), fetishized (where would the porn industry be without them?), altered (because it's only natural to surgically insert foreign materials into your body when it's not necessary), displayed in almost any setting (I somehow doubt that female professionals in the real world would be taken as seriously if they showed their jugs as generously [notice how many breast euphemisms there are?] as in TV drama-land, for example), marketed to pre-pubescent girls (do you really need a bra when you're only seven?), and even turned into a hugely profitable health industry (why are breast cancer victims discouraged from questioning dietary and environmental factors?), but what they're NOT supposed to do is provide nourishment. 

Nope, take your babe off the boob! Much better to start drinking cow's milk (a whole other sad story of female victimization) and stop only until we fall into our graves. Um, what the hell?

*This post was inspired by a reference I heard last night to Alanis Morissette's decision to keep breastfeeding her 17-month-old son until he tells her he wants to stop.

7 daily questions vegans could ask themselves

Also a good question, but not quite what I had in mind. Below are seven sets of questions -- one for each day of the week.

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1. What one step can I take today to increase public awareness of the plight of farmed animals? What is the best way for me to help spread the word? How can I help someone else connect the dots?


2. How can I be the best ambassador possible for veganism? How can I show that being vegan is the healthiest, most responsible and most compassionate way of being? How can I be more welcoming to new vegans and vegans-to-be?


3. What specific skills and strengths can I bring to the table to forward the cause of animal liberation? Because doing what you're good at, and what you enjoy, will make you more effective.


4. What can I do to show that animal rights are human rights as well? How can I show the intersections between human and animal oppressions? How can I demonstrate the various ways they're linked?


5. How can I help bridge the gap between vegans and non-vegans? (Or between different factions of vegans?) How can I show where there's common ground?


6. How can I protect myself from fatigue and burnout so I'm stronger for the long haul? What would stop me from being vegan? What can I learn from detractors of our cause?


7. How can I be proactive instead of reactive? How can I highlight gains rather than losses? How can I move from focusing on problems to developing solutions?

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Obviously, questions are a lot easier to ask than answer (and more fun in my opinion), so I'll leave the hard work of actually answering them up to you. ;)

50 hodgepodge thoughts on living well

This was written the other day when I thought about turning 50 in October. I decided to put it all down as inspiration hit because I often regret not writing things down as I think of them. I've admitted to not always being punctual, and it's true I'm sometimes late, but I'm also sometimes early, so why wait with posting until I'm actually fifty? ;)

Um, it's not really related to veganism per se, but I thought you might enjoy anyway.

 

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1. don't let anyone else tell you who you are unless they've legitimately earned your trust
2. accept their input, but reserve the right to dismiss if it doesn't ring true
3. learn to like yourself (you know what you need to improve on, but don't beat yourself up)
4. don't let anyone else beat you up either, whether physically, emotionally, verbally, sexually, financially, or spiritually
5. find a purpose, YOUR purpose, and keep looking for it if you have to until you find one that fits. You'll know when it does.
6. figure out what you're good at, figure out what you're passionate about, and let the two become acquainted
7. accept your past but know it doesn't define you
8. become your own best friend and ally
9. stay self-focused, but don't become self-centered 
10. you can't change anyone except yourself (but by providing information or insight you may be able to help others help change themselves)
11. be kind, be compassionate, and know we're all connected
12. be a mentor (or at least a supporter)
13. try to leave this world a better place
14. define success for yourself
15. be true to yourself, before being true to the world
16. know that everything WILL pass
17. be creative (whether literally in creating offspring, or preferably in how you live, how you connect to the world, and in leaving your mark on this world)
18. know that being vegan is a spiritual task even if you identify as atheist
19. become comfortable in not knowing all the answers
20. comfort yourself by becoming better in asking the right questions
21. decide for yourself what is true
22. question authority because it has never been more relevant
23. reading is as essential to life as breathing; do it every day
24. forgive yourself
25. forgive others (especially if they know not what they do), but only when ready
26. know that you have much to contribute
27. become a good steward
28. try your best, but know that anything worth doing is worth doing badly
29. always ask, What is the best use of my time right now?
30. become a recovering pessimist
31. better yet, become an idealistic realist
32. think of happiness as a byproduct rather than an aim
33. recognize that money is only a tool, a form of energy if you wish
34. many rules are meant to be broken, but know rules well before you break them
35. be mindful of what and whom you eat
36. vote with your fork every day
37. travel light (figuratively, metaphorically and literally)
38. be grateful that your companion animal has chosen you
39. live up to their expectations and exceed them when you can
40. see how some of the best words are i words -- ideas, ideals, imagine, inform, inspire, illuminate, innovate, intuitive, introspection, insightful, intention, integrity...
41. be aware of all the ways in which you're extremely lucky
42. express gratitude daily
43. remember that all families are complex and multi-layered
44. honour your children as well as your parents
45. realize there are three versions to every story: yours, mine, and the truth
46. it's easier to be reactive than proactive, but easy is not usually best
47. focus on the things you want more of, rather than less of
48. fear not living well -- however you define well -- rather than death itself
49. always be kind (notice how 'kin' is part of kind, and because all beings ARE kin, we need to be kind to all)
50. know that love IS the answer

 

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if the path is vegan, don't run around the mountain

There are hundreds of paths up the mountain, 

all leading in the same direction,

so it doesn't matter which path you take.

The only one wasting time is the one

who runs around and around the mountain,

telling everyone that his or her path is wrong.

-- HINDU TEACHING

"I'm not an animal rights activist, but..."

Funny how this sounds awfully familiar to what I used to hear all the time back in the 80s and 90s when a person would announce to me, "I'm not a feminist, but..." before proceeding to tell me something they believed or did that sure seemed like a feminist thing to say or do, snort. I hear the animal rights line up above quite a bit, so maybe "I'm not a vegan, but..." will soon become an oft-heard line as well? What comes first? Beliefs or actions? :)

the stories we tell ourselves

"I don't have a choice."

"I don't have time."

These are two stories (not facts) that many of us tell ourselves constantly. At some point, I caught my own inner voice saying I don't have a choice and then noticed just how often that sentence floated through my mind whenever I made a decision. Balderdash. The beauty of being a human adult (in the free world at least) is that we have the power to make (and change) choices all the time. Every thought, feeling and action can be viewed as a choice, and even choosing not to make a choice is in fact a choice. So the real responsibility is to own your choices and to know what they cost. For the flip side of this however read veganelder's proxy post on how our choices are not always our own as much as we like to think.

The fiction of I don't have time is so universally accepted and repeated that it's become clichéd. We all have the same 24 hours and it comes down to choosing (ah, there's that word again) what to fill it with. What would be more accurate instead of claiming we don't have time is to state that a certain activity is not our top priority at the moment. I mean, most of us watch TV or a movie (not that there's anything wrong with that) when we could also be reading a book, watching a sunset or handing out leaflets. The important thing is to recognize that we constantly make choices about time as well. 

Other stories that we tell ourselves (or are told to us) is that we need to eat sentient beings (we call them animals or meat to make it easier) to be healthy, and that their purpose is to serve us in whatever way we choose. In essence, what we're telling ourselves (until we recognize the stories as fiction) is that their time and the choices they would likely make on their own behalf don't matter. Sound fair?

So, what story are you telling yourself right now? ;)

the paradox of being vegan part 3

Note: the paradoxes of being vegan that I discuss in this and subsequent posts are my own personal observations, and not necessarily universally applicable to all vegans

And if you haven't read paradoxes 1 or 2 yet (or have forgotten already because I wrote them so long ago), I'll link to them below.

Paradox #3:

• Being vegan has changed me completely
• Being vegan hasn't changed me at all

When I say that being vegan has changed me completely I don't just mean what I eat, wear, enjoy for entertainment and consume in other ways (although it includes all of that), but more that it has changed my mindset, my worldview, and my values. It has opened my heart (significant for someone who prefers logic and thinking) in a way that nothing else has, and it's increased my ability to feel compassion and empathy. And in an odd way, caring more about all living animals has allowed me to care more about human animals too. I'm a better person for being vegan and I'm thankful that I took the leap.

At the same time though, being vegan hasn't changed me one iota. In fact, it's probably just reinforced who I really am. Being vegan hasn't made me more patient, hasn't eradicated my quick temper, hasn't made me less reactive, and hasn't smoothed out the rough edges. I'm still quick to judge, am prone to snarkiness, love to come up with new ideas but am not great on follow-up (case in point being all the post topics I have thought up and promised but have yet to deliver, e.g., paradoxes 3, 4, and 5 were conceptualized eons ago), and I still feel like smacking people in the face for being such jackasses half the time even though I usually endorse a gentler approach.

What I think veganism does is magnify who you really are. It brings out your best and worst traits, illuminates whatever charming or not so charming personality quirks you possess, and brings to the fore your true values. In a sense, being vegan is a litmus test. Or maybe I'm just full of it? At any rate, being vegan gives you the wonderful opportunity to use your skills, interests and the unique qualities that make you YOU for the betterment of all, and that my friend, is quite cool.

Need to catch up with the other paradoxes? Here you go:

Paradox #2: as a vegan I've never been more at peace/more pissed off
Paradox #1: being vegan is easy/being vegan is hard

remembering all beings who mother

Lots of excellent posts out there for Mother's Day examining various aspects of the mother-child bond regardless of species, so I won't add much more except to ponder out loud if greater or faster change would occur if larger numbers of human mothers got involved. After all, they (along with human fathers) have the biggest impact on families in terms of what's regarded as food to begin with, what gets purchased and prepared, what entertainment and other forms of current exploitation are deemed suitable, and are the most effective transmitters of personal value systems when children are young. So maybe if collectively more human mothers were up in arms (like Mothers Against Drunk Drivers for example) about how we treat and use animals, then perhaps this world will become a different place sooner rather than later.

In other words, we need Meatless Mothers more than Meatless Mondays! ;)

* photo originally from Farm Sanctuary 

the paradox of being vegan part 2

Note: the paradoxes of being vegan that I discuss in this and other posts are my own personal observations, and not necessarily universally applicable to all vegans

Paradox #2:

• As a vegan I've never been more at peace
• As a vegan I've never been more pissed off

I'm at peace because what I consume is in line with my moral and ethical values. For the most part (keeping in mind the two important words "possible" and "practical" from the veganism definition), I do not eat, wear, or use animals/animal products, and try to encourage others to do the same. As much as I can, I attempt to follow the adage of "first, do no harm", and vote with my fork and wallet every day. While it may not seem like enough, at least I can rest more easily (even if I didn't participate in any other form of activism) knowing that I do my best not to contribute any further to animal harm and exploitation.

But while I personally feel more at peace, I have also never felt angrier. As a vegan, I probably don't even have to explain this, and I assume that most of you know exactly what I'm talking about. Part of the process of becoming vegan is learning to see the world with new (or perhaps it would be more accurate to say opened) eyes and becoming aware of and being witness to the cruelty and injustice that nonhuman animals face daily and worldwide can be overwhelming. There is so much to be pissed off about! Animal use is so pervasive and ingrained and virtually no individual, group, society, institution or corporation is blameless. We can even become angry with other vegans or vegan groups that we feel aren't tackling the issues in the ways we would like, or in the ways we find most effective. And I think that while anger can be an extremely useful tool and a vehicle for change, it's also exhausting. For myself I've come to realize that I have to find ways to channel that anger more effectively because I don't think increased blood pressure and stress (as just two physical manifestations) will make me or anyone else a better activist.

How about you? How do you straddle trying to be more compassionate towards ALL living creatures when some of those creatures piss you off the most? ;)

p.s. in case you haven't read it yet, here's the paradox of being vegan part 1