Lighting the Path Toward Veganism:
A Thank-You Letter to Jo
Dear Jo,
It's been over two years since I first wrote to you. At the time, I was approaching my 60th birthday, and having been a vegetarian for ten years, I had determined that I'd complete the transition to veganism to mark that milestone birthday. I'd read The Vegan Sourcebook, and was writing to tell you how much it had helped me. And I wanted to share my intentions with you, as I knew no one else who might find my (then) "radical" plan all that interesting. To my great surprise, you wrote me a kind and encouraging letter in return. (Yes, that was before I had email, which now seems eons ago!)
I still can't explain why it took me so LONG to finally find my way to veganism, but I do thank you, Jo, for helping me more than you can ever know. Your books, your board, your wisdom, and your wonderful example of kindness in action have been, and continue to be, an inspiration to me.
I also read Being Vegan early on in my journey, as I did at the one-year mark and as I am doing again now. I think it will be something I'll do every year, as each time I gain new insights, or I have a sudden "aha" about something that I may have forgotten or that just didn't "click" before. Anyway, it seems like a good yearly ritual to me!
Becoming a vegan has brought me a sense of contentment that I had not experienced before. Not all areas of my life are what I'd call peaceful, but knowing that I am making an effort to no longer contribute to the "business" of turning animals into food, clothing, and other products helps bring me closer to the serenity I seek.
Of course, however, there is a sadness that sometimes surfaces when I think of, or am reminded of, all the horrible conditions experienced by the factory-farmed animals or even the "pets" that are abused. I know I could just ignore the books and the programs, but somehow I feel that I must know what is going on, that it isn't right for me not to know.
And the sadness is also, I'm sure, compounded by my own guilt in knowing that so many animals suffered from my waiting so long to "convert." When I read on your discussion board how young many of the posters are, and how long they have been vegan, I am humbled. But in those young people I see such hope for the future!
Well, I ramble. And no, that has nothing to do with being 62; I confess that I rambled at 22! But I DO want to thank you for being so available to all of us. I really don't understand how you stay on top of the board, in addition to doing speaking engagements, creating recipes, and writing books. You're clearly very organized, or--could it be that you're cloned??? ;-)
Fondly,
Marilyn H.
New Mexico
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