As y'all know, I love Esther, and her two dads, and the fine job the three of them are doing in raising awareness. "The Esther effect" has proven to be strong and far-reaching, and what I particularly like is the positive and joyful approach this trio embodies. One heart at a time is their strategy, and I think it's a smart one. With all the misery that animals face and activists are witness to, it's easy to forget that being vegan should also be fun and life affirming, so it's nice to have Esther and her dads remind us of that. Plus, saying Yes (to life, compassion, love) is, in my opinion, a stronger way to get folk to stay vegan rather than just focusing on the No (to cruelty, suffering, death) in getting them to go vegan.
But what some of you may not know, is that I also like making up words -- as the animal industrial complex shows, language can be manipulated to hide all sorts of evil, and one of our tasks as vegans is to strip away the veil (notice how evil and veil are almost identical) of words that make cruelty invisible -- and Esther has been a rich source of inspiration. Thus, here (in no particular order) are my top favourite five new Esther-inspired words and definitions:
- Estheresque: similar to statuesque (as in being striking, majestic, magnificent) Estheresque takes it one step further to include any quality that matches her impact on human consciousness
- Estherapy: better than booze, massage, and perhaps even chocolate, a visit to Esther's Facebook page is bound to lift your spirits and make you smile
- Esthercise: okay, this one I didn't make up myself (saw it in a FB comment), but the word brought to mind images of brief spurts of running at top speed, sandwiched in between bouts of napping and eating, and somehow, this exercise regime seems appealing even to me
- Estherache: pain brought on by not having at least a daily dose of Estherapy
- Estherology: future scholarly study of Esther and "The Esther effect" leading to countless Sociology, Psychology, and Anthropology courses featuring this life-changing porcine loveliness
One of my all-time favourite adjectives though is one coined by Esther's dads themselves: Esther-approved (what a creative and gentle way to describe a better way of eating and living!) and confirms for me that these two men deserve all the respect, admiration and attention that they're receiving. May these sweet Canucks stay humble and gracious, and continue to inspire and effect change. Campbellville, here I come! :)
