51 & Vegan

My mom thought this one thing some guy sent her was funny, about age of women, with both being 51 and one eating right and organic and sounding very holistic, and the other eating butter, desserts and whatever else she can find to put in her mouth. So the idea was that the one who ate butter looked so much better, with her voluptuous breasts spilling out of her bodice. And the idea was that the one who ate vegetarian was not good looking and scrawny. He wrote along with it, "I rest my case."

I said to my Mom, "Why did you show me that?"

She just thought it was funny. I see the point, because actually, there are people who eat awfully and look great, and there are people who smoke cigarettes that live to be 99.

I said though, feeling defensive about being vegan and this idea of some red-haired scrawny woman next to the voluptous brunette, and said, "He rests his case on what?"

"That she's better than the other woman because she has a better appearance superficially and doesn't care about animals and suffering? I rest my case."

I should have added, "...and is at risk of getting breast cancer."

The whole point of SOME of the vegetarian and vegan ads is that you can look good and care about animals and humanity and try to minimize suffering. I think even sometimes the vegan ads are superficial or self-righteous, but I think it's sort of a point. I personally LOVE butter, desserts, and meat. It never makes me sick to smell the smell of raw or cooked meat. I've heard some vegans or vegetarians say that they feel sick from it but I never have. I love the smell and I don't even think I'll be vegan forever. I'm playing it by ear and not making demands on myself.

The only reason I even started it was when I thought about this dairy farmers cows being perpetually pregnant. I imagined myself milking others for years, twice a day and I felt sorry for the cows.

This doesn't mean I'm against hunting for food. I think some people feel they have to eat meat or it's plentiful for them, moreso even than vegetables and fruits so, fine. Humanely hunting for a good reason I don't have a problem.

But for me personally, I think about how people treat ME as if I am an animal and torture and do incredible things and I've always cared about animals. I can be stiff-lipped about it if I have to be, with an animal, but my heart goes out to animals because God created them. God doesn't like cruelty to animals--not to humans, not to the unborn, and not to animals.

If it is possible for me to cut back on this for animals we don't even see that suffer, than I am happy to do this and I feel good about it too.

But I don't look down on meat-eaters and I am not philosophically opposed. I just choose not to, for myself, at this time.

For me, it's not a religious choice or a strict philosophical ideal. For me, it's that I thought about suffering animals one day and instead of keeping them out of sight, out of mind, I kept them in mind with what I chose to buy and consume. And not strictly without any give, but in general. And then too, it's sort of a challenge to myself and I am always up for a good challenge.

Challenger!

(sorry, made myself laugh)

If there is butter on my bread, I am not cringing. If I order a coffee, I might, for special occasion, have whip or cream or whatever. For the most part I am becoming more stringent and strict but I think it's the idea of challenge right now. To challenge myself and see how disciplined I am.

For me, personally, I'm more of a vegetarian who would buy eggs and dairy if I knew the animals were in good keep and had freedom or maybe not milk if they had to be pregnant all the time, but if chickens just lay eggs a lot, why not have eggs? and honey, I can't see the point of not having honey or certain things. So in small things, I'm not totally vegan. I also wear wool. I think about total impact to both animals and humans and how eating or not eating certain foods helps or hinders economy and animal rights and suffering too.

But lately, I have been pretty close to 100% vegan and right now, and it's the challenge. The only thing that's not vegan in my kitchen right now is honey.

It's been this way for a month. I had a mocha with whipped cream this month and a tiny bit of butter in stuffing and things my parents made and I didn't think about it, but gelatin in marshmallows on the sweet potatoes is animal product. For about 2months I've been almost 100% vegan. I didn't plan it this way.

It's not a fast either. It's nothing hoity-toity. However, I said to my Mom, "I haven't done any of the extreme cleanses this month. I figure being Vegan is extreme enough." So I haven't done any ascorbic acid cleanses or anything. I bought ascorbic acid crystals and I haven't even used them.