You’ve probably noticed that I haven’t been posting much more than recipes lately. Or maybe you haven’t noticed. Either way, I’ve been boring myself with my lack of posts lately. But each time I sit down to write something new, I just can’t come up with the right topic, or the right words. It’s more than just writer’s block. I feel like I’ve lost my drive, my fire, my… anger.
I used to get so worked up about the cruelty, the unhealthiness, and the environmental destruction caused by the meat industry! But I no longer seem to work up the same kind of emotion that I used to about these things. I keep trying to figure out how I got from here and here to where I am now: at a loss for words.
Part of me thinks I’ve just become desensitized to it all. I suppose a few years of reading and writing about some of the most cruel acts imaginable will do that to a person. Sadly, I’m no longer shocked when I see an especially gruesome video of farm animal abuse because I’ve only come to expect it at this point. (Don’t get me wrong, I still think it’s horrendous, but I just don’t react they same way anymore.)
Another part of me feels like I’ve simply said all I have to say about this. How many times can I repeat myself before running out of different ways to say the same thing? (Here’s the most simple way: MEAT IS BAD.)
But part of me knows it’s actually because I’ve matured through various phases of this vegetarian journey, and have finally arrived at a point of acceptance.
The 5 Phases of My Vegetarian Journey
Changing your lifestyle because of a new set of beliefs (the belief that the way our food system treats animals is wrong) is a process, and looking back, I can now see that I went through some very distinct phases during this process.
1. Denial
Calling myself an “animal lover,” yet eating animals. Loving dogs, cats and horses, but funding the brutal killing of pigs, goats and cows. Tearing up when accidentally hitting a bird with my car, then chomping on chicken for dinner. Spending hours trying to rescue and save a baby squirrel, then scarfing down a hamburger minutes later. It makes no sense. Yet it all seemed so normal at the time. For 27 years, I was in complete denial about the contradictory nature of my actions.
2. Enlightenment
By chance, I stumbled across a book that taught me the truth, and I could hardly believe how awful it was. That’s when the light bulb finally clicked on. I realized that my choice to eat meat was not only condoning, but also funding some of the worst animal abuse imaginable. And it made me sick that I was a part of this awful thing. Once you know how horrible the meat industry is, if you continue to eat meat then you are knowingly, consciously, supporting the animal abuse. I couldn’t in good conscience live that way, so I went vegetarian.
3. Action
In addition to changing my eating habits, I continued to read and learn more about vegetarianism. I learned about the health benefits, and the environmental impact, and quickly realized that vegetarianism not only saves animals, but it also saves our own health and our planet. I was feeling great, both physically and mentally, and I wanted to share this feeling and all of the information I was absorbing with everyone! I just knew that all I had to do was tell people the facts and it would be so obvious to them that vegetarianism was the best choice for themselves, the animals, and the planet, that of course they’d make the switch too! I was going to change the world through a blog!
4. Anger and frustration
Why isn’t this as obvious to everyone else as it is to me? Why aren’t more people appalled by what I’m telling them? Why aren’t the people who say they are appalled cutting back on their meat intake? Why aren’t the so-called “animal lovers” the first ones to go vegetarian? Why are the most unhealthy the most defensive about their diet? WHY DOESN’T ANYONE CARE? Is it really that hard to order a pizza with mushrooms instead of pepperoni? Do you honestly feel no guilt eating a hamburger when you know how awfully the cow suffered? How can you admit that you know the system is terrible, then continue to support it? You’re seriously telling me that you can’t commit to one vegetarian meal per week?! The more I tried to convince people, the more frustrated, angry, and sad I became at the level of indifference, the amount of irrational resistance, and the lack of courage of people to make a change for something they knew was right. And eventually, it all just became too much to handle.
5. Balance and Acceptance
After the mental overload, I backed off the activism for a while. This gave me some time to cool off, lose the anger, and realize that not everyone will process information in the same way that I do. Something that may seem obvious or easy to me is not necessarily seen that way by everyone else. I eased off the militant stance and adopted an “every little bit helps” approach. I not only changed my tone, but I completely changed my attitude. I realized that while most people are not going to go vegetarian, many people are open to eating less meat, and the best thing that I can do for the animals, the environment, and our own health, is to encourage and help those people. My goal now is to set a positive vegetarian example by providing useful information, delicious meatless meal ideas, and hopefully some inspiration as well. I’m trying to follow the advice of Ghandi, “Be the change you want to see in the world.” And the change I want to see in the world is compassion for ALL beings (vegetarian or not).
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Breakfast: Evol spinach and tofu burrito
Lunch: Veggie plate at a BBQ restaurant (went with co-workers) – fried okra, mashed potatoes, garden salad, and peach cobbler
Dinner: Pasta with eggplant, brussels sprouts, spinach, olive oil, and garlic
