Thoughts On My Life as a Vegan
A few weeks ago I was overcome by emotions and thoughts about my life at this point. I feel so fortunate that I was able to learn about veganism. The events transpired by the way fate caught interest in the direction my life was going and decided to intervene.
Even meeting my boyfriend last March was a stroke of chance. Years earlier I was assigned a dorm room at the college I was attending in New York City. On that floor I made a friend, and through meeting friends of friends of friends over three years, a chain was formed that led me to Jason.
One November night last fall I started reading a book Jason picked up at the local health food store. The book was New York Naturally, a guide to vegetarian options in New York City. The person who was interviewed in the book was John Robbins, author of Diet For a New America.
In the ten minutes it took me to read the interview, I was so moved that I decided right then to never again consume animal products. It really opened my eyes, and I wanted to learn more. A few days later I went to a bookstore and purchased Diet For a New America, Being Vegan by Jo Stepaniak, and a vegan cookbook.
When I read Being Vegan, I started to really understand what veganism is about. It goes beyond diet to a way of living and advocates a reverence for life. I learned why many things aren’t vegan, either because almost every part of an animal somehow turns up in products on the market, or because most of the time when anything is taken from an animal, that animal is harmed. In all, I started to think about things I never had thought of before.
A few weeks later I gave away all my leather and suede items, including six pairs of leather shoes I had bought that year. It bothered me too much to wear them because for the first time I was aware that I had been wearing the skin of cows.
Another part of my transition to veganism was replacing all of my beauty and bathroom products with vegan ones. One day I printed out a hidden animal ingredients list online and loaded up a bag of things I chose not to use anymore. The animal products in those items astonished me. Now my simple morning and night routine is free of animal by-products and cruelty.
Another step I’ve taken recently is to no longer wear makeup, perfume, or nail polish, all of which can contain animal products. I was never a big makeup user, but I still wouldn’t leave my house without first applying mascara. Now I realize it is not a necessity and feel I am letting my face breathe for the first time in years. I am glad I am not preoccupied with these things now.
Although my feet already were firmly planted on the path of veganism, I found a lot of support when I went to Vegsource.com. Fortunately, I have not met much opposition from family or friends, even though I know most people still do not understand veganism. I believe this is because they are unaware of what veganism is about and why vegans feel the way they do, or because it goes against the grain of how the majority of the billions of people on this planet live. I think it may be akin to prejudice. Prejudice is ignorance, or lack of comprehension. People can be quick to make judgments against vegans because they are not aware. Paul and Linda McCartney once said: “If slaughterhouses had glass walls, everyone would be vegetarian.” When the mind is opened, it is not hard to understand veganism.
As with most vegans, I often have to explain my lifestyle or spend twice the amount of time I once did in stores, scanning the ingredients of virtually every item I buy. I’ve had to eat many salads when spending days with family, and I abstain from the pizza at company luncheons. I reply, “That’s nice,” when coworkers show me their new leather coats or bags or when they proudly tell me about their new cars with leather seats. I go to vegan dinners at a cafeteria at New York University sponsored by a student animal rights group. I sometimes make vegan food for omnivore friends or coworkers and take pleasure in their approval of how good it tastes. I have learned to cook and love to spend time in the kitchen, especially when trying new recipes with Jason. Before becoming vegan, the only dinner I ever really cooked was a vegetable stir-fry. Now we make casseroles, appetizers, desserts, and juice drinks, and it feels much better to cook in rather than eat out. Soon I will discover the challenges of finding acceptable places to eat when I drive 2,800 miles cross-country, but I’ll be prepared with my own supply of food.
I’ve bought some of the most interesting and informative books I have ever read. Most recently, I read Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser and was enthralled by it and plan on giving it to friends and family. I plan on raising my future children vegan, which my “getting-close-to-becoming-vegan” boyfriend is okay with. I’m becoming more aware of my health and the way food can affect the longevity and quality of my life. Jason tells me my moods have been more consistent, and I find I am not sleeping in like I used to do. I’m buying more organic produce, which looks so much more appetizing and is better for me and the environment. I’ve become very passionate about something important, and that feels delightful. I also am exploring my place in the world -- how my actions affect many others and how I can make a difference. I know that I already make a difference three times a day by choosing to eat vegan meals. Veganism means compassion for human as well as for animals, so I have been volunteering a few times a month and am going back to school to become a special education teacher. Everything is quite a change from the self-centered way I spent the first few years of my adult life.
In all, becoming vegan is one of the most positive things I’ve ever done. I feel much healthier, emotionally and physically. Being vegan affects many aspects of my life, and I do not believe I will ever revert to how I used to live. Because of my veganism, I lead a much more compassionate life now, one that includes all living beings.
Kimberly B.
New York City, NY
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