The only difference is your attitude

As a society, we have been conditioned since birth to eat certain animals ( cows, pigs, fish) and love others (dogs, cats). This is likely the reason many of us have such a difficult time wrapping our heads around the idea of veganism. It’s as if animal consumption  was never a choice really, just a part of life. I never remember giving much thought to eating animals growing up. As far as I’m concerned I’ve always loved animals, but then why did I eat them? Conditioning. Culture. Tradition. So many things tie us to animal consumption. Someone once told me “I can’t give up meat, my family would be so upset”. But what about them? what about the animals…

It’s easy to be served a burger in a restaurant and not associate a cow with it when you take a bite. We are so far removed from the process of how our food gets to us, that we just don’t think about it.

Cows, chickens and other animals have feelings. They get scared, they miss their moms when they get separated, and they feel pain.

If the only way you could get a burger was to kill the cow yourself, would you still want the burger? I assume a lot fewer people would be eating meat if this were the case. Every time we purchase dairy, eggs, meat, poultry, and fish we are in fact paying someone else to kill that being for us.

I am not trying to make you feel bad. If you do feel bad it’s probably because you’ve never thought of the foods you eat in this way, that’s ok, most people never think of this. My goal is simply to help you understand that you have a choice.

Why I’m vegan…

My journey to veganism started in February of 2016, I was watching a YouTube video about makeup, and the person was discussing cruelty-free animal products. In the middle of her video she inserted some disturbing images of what happens to animals when they are tested with the makeup and body products we use each day. I knew products were tested on animals but I never gave it much thought until I saw that video. I suddenly felt compelled to research day and night about animal cruelty. What I read and the images I saw were shocking. To this day I think “are we insane?” Is our society so blinded by its own desires for products, for things…. I know I was. I went vegetarian the day I saw that YouTube video, and 7 months later I went vegan. For those of you not familiar, this means I no longer eat animals. Veganism is more than just about the food you eat, it also means you don’t wear or use any products made with animal ingredients or tested on animals. I am still transitioning to vegan products, which I’m sure will take some time. I don’t believe in wasting the things I already have, that wouldn’t be practical. There are several other reasons I chose veganism, which I will discuss on my blog in the future.

Guilt

I still hold a lot of guilt inside about all the unnecessary suffering I contributed to for the last 30 years. Surprisingly, this has been the hardest part of going vegan for me. The emotional guilt. I also struggle with purchasing animal products for other people as well. How can you really tell a family member or friend while out to lunch, “Sorry I don’t want to pay for the burger you ordered”. Some might say, “Don’t worry about it, you are doing so much already.” I try to think about it in this way, but it’s very difficult for me. I’m happy I woke up though, that’s what it feels like. It’s odd, I think back to before, when I ate animals….it seems like forever ago, but it hasn’t even been a year.

Consider giving up just one animal product? For them?

I’ve always disliked the attitudes some vegans have towards people who consume animals. If you do eat animals, I am not here to judge you. I am here to share my feelings and knowledge. To help you see animal consumption differently. I don’t think you are a bad person if you eat meat. Perhaps you just haven’t received enough info on the topic.

If you are interested in stopping your contributions to animal suffering, try taking one animal product out of your diet. The way I see it, everything makes a difference. If you give up red meat then you are no longer paying someone to kill cows. You are also not contributing to the massive amount of water it takes to produce red meat either. Not to mention all the methane cows release which is contributing greatly to global warming.

 

Still not convinced?

Try watching a few documentaries: Forks Over knives, Cowspiracy, Earthlings, and there is a new one up on Netflix called Food Choices. There are also many books, articles and me. If you have any questions feel free to comment below.  I’m currently reading….

Compassion for all

The older we get, the more we reflect on life. I think a lot about what I want to be remembered for. Veganism is definitely one of them. I guess I feel like I found my purpose in a way. I want everyone to love more, to care. I hope someone who reads this makes a change, maybe that person will be you.

Have a peaceful and happy day