Being Vegan

 

19 Days a Vegan:

“I AM VEGAN” are the three word, in all caps, that I’d message my close friend Karol Gajda (Karl Guy-Da).  That was more than 7 years ago and the text was always accompanied by a deep chuckle, on my end, anytime I ate something where meat wasn’t involved.

Karol took in stride, most times with a haha or hehe “text laugh” back at me.

He was the first person to ever expose me to veganism and he was passionate about it.  He would do massive research on things like the very best ways to make beans and even asked my Mom, a +40 years of experience bean maker, for her thoughts.  I enjoyed his zeal and it’s one of the things that I love most about Karol.  He gets into things, like I do.  Thinking back, I’m not sure I even really knew what a vegan is/was before Karol moved in that direction.

But I would go with him to Ethos (a vegan place here in Orlando) for lunch and or Sunday brunch.  We would make a 5 bean chili recipe that he created.  And he made these raspberry filled cupcakes, that he could have sold for 4.5 dollars each.  At least that was my thought, haha.

7 years ago a vegan was almost like a unicorn around here, meaning that there seemingly weren’t many of them.  I mean, Karol was the only one that I knew.  But the food was all really good.  Honestly.  Especially the chili and cupcakes.

He told me about some documentaries I should watch, but I didn’t.  It was easier to stay ignorant.  To just eat what I want.  To just do as I’ve always done.

I love food.  Would probably consider myself a foodie and I surely wasn’t going to give myself any reason to pass on steaks and foie gras and anything else for that matter.

I recall one afternoon, he told me about this one doc and how horribly the chicken was processed for KFC.  I didn’t watch it.  I just stopped eating at KFC.  Haven’t eaten there in over 7 years.  Obviously, every other chicken place follows the same or nearly same procedures but that didn’t stop me from ordering chicken anywhere else.

Ignorance is bliss, right?

Then 20 days ago, with the moon leaning heavy into the star filled sky, I watched 17:43 of Earthlings.

I had just eaten a bbq cheeseburger and some chicken tenders after a basketball game.  Horrible food, health wise, but it was late and I was hungry after having just played and it was available.

But as I was eating, I got a text and it was the second or third time a friend had followed up and asked if I had watched Earthlings yet.

So after my last bite of tender, I found it online, hit play and became a vegan.

Wow, that was overly dramatic, and I don’t even feel right calling myself a vegan just 19 days into it, but that is how it went.

I couldn’t watch the 1.5 hour doc/movie narrated by Joaquin Phoenix.  It was too much, too graphic, too real for me.  I wanted to retreat back to my I’d rather not know state.  I got through 17 minutes and 43 seconds, felt sick physically and more so emotionally and haven’t eaten anything coming from an animal since.

To understand something, is to know better…to cause a shift or change.  Or at least it should be, shouldn’t it?

Speciesism is the prejudice or bias in favor of the interests of members of one’s own species and against those of members of other species.

Sexism and racism follow the same belief system.

And I’m not about any of that.

So I’m 19 days a vegan and that’s why.

Will it last? I really don’t know.

What I do know is that I’m not ok with being ignorant anymore.

And no, I’m not doing it for health reasons or diet.  I already look pretty amazing (insert haha and or wink).

For inquiring minds, no I don’t feel like I’m missing anything.  I haven’t lost weight.  I don’t feel hungry.  And I don’t feel more or less energy.  I don’t feel more or less of anything really, except when it comes to compassion and empathy.

And that’s really what it’s about for me.

I’m doing it because I care.

An earthling is any inhabitant of the earth, not just us humans.

We are one family.  Perhaps it’s time to act accordingly.

If you’d like to watch Earthlings, you can do so here: http://earthlings.com/?page_id=32

Or if you have any questions, I’d be happy to attempt to answer.

No judgement, just straight love.

Much love,

K. Eller (mevsMJ.com)
‪#‎Vegan‬