3rd year veganniversary

So, I just realized last month was my 3rd year as a vegetarian. The hardest part was definitely the trip to Japan in Fall 2013. Now if I am ever tempted by a bit of seafood, I think “If I didn’t fall off the wagon then, I certainly don’t need to just for some ordinary seafood restaurant here”.

I am still somewhere between a hard core vegetarian and vegan. I’m thinking of doing a month full vegan just because I really do want to be fully vegan. I just hate the actual label and the social implications around it. And maybe, I do sometimes still like a small piece of cheese. In French, vegan is translated as végétalien, or végétalienne. So “alien” is an apt term sometimes. I realize it may seem vegan is very accepted and mainstream. Until you actually try it! It will be interesting to order my grand creme in France, avec le lait de soja (soy milk).

We’re doing some work with veg-businesses and the labels are a real problem. Instead of saying vegan, which immediately sounds so drastic people will not even consider that option, the groups are using plant-based. Still kind of weird though, as you can see when applied to the other groups. Do you enjoy your meat-based diet?

Can the vegans just get off their smug high horse, and the omnivores open their mind past “BACON” and really look at the full picture? We all have to be in this together.

On a positive note, am seeing a lot of hopeful trends… the Ringling Brother’s circus announced they will phase out using elephants in their show. Sea World has some serious bad press around their treatment of orcas, which hopefully will put them down the same path. Beyond just these large, amazing mammals. Think about the billions of animals who suffer because of our overwhelming demand. How different are they from the companion animals… from us, even?

That is just the animal side. I feel the health and environmental issues are also extremely important. Especially the effects on climate change.

I’ve got to leave this here, since I tend to ramble. Please consider your choices and how you can lessen your impact on the animals and the earth. Peace.