and i almost missed it! you know how i told you awhile back 'bout how i took spanish 1 twice..and failed twice...weeeeell..i thought "cinco" was six until i used my fingers to count....so...
happy cinco de mayo:)
im so excited that today marks ten years of not purposefully contributing to the cruelty of the meaty,dairy,bee,silk,leather,and wool industry!!
what id like to do is write a few of things that i have done on accident or without thinking it through. because ten years might seem daunting to some new vegans. and it shouldnt because we all make mistakes and i have made QUITE a few really really REALLY dumb ones!!
(at this point i was a four year vegan) a few years ago i was at a ladies house to get a bunny(hers had babies) and outside she had free range chickens and i saw some eggs dotting the nest boxes. since i am against the way that factory farms force chickens to lay eggs in such horrible conditions, this to me was an ideal situation. we took a few home. i thought that all "free range" eggs came from places like that. i was wrong. after buying a couple (maybe three) cartons of eggs later, it still felt wrong somehow. and it was.buying free range eggs is still supporting the meat and egg industry. how? only females can lay eggs. only 50% of chickens that are born are female. the boy chicks are disposed of. needless to say i felt sick, and have regretted that ever since.
another instance, was buying shirts or clothing that were made of silk.i have dont this only once that i know of but still felt pretty bad. i mean if something is on clearance you wouldnt think it was made of silk darn it!
for nine years i have eaten white sugar. some vegans say that this is not a vegan food. some think thats going to far. i always felt guilty eating sugar but i did. i thought that taking sugar out of my diet would be just to much. id be even "weirder" now i dont care.(if people think its weird:))
ive eaten cookies that i thought were vegan, only to be mindlessly reading the label and shocked to find that they changed the recipe:) cookie crumbs spewed everywhere:)
another thing that i feel strongly about. not being grossed out by meat or dairy(stay with me for this one). i no longer freak out if i have to to touch(in a package) meaty things (i help bag at the grocery store) i have a different attitude now. i want to treat that animal body with respect. it isnt its fault that its dead. and to treat it like its icky/gross/disgusting? no thats wrong also.you know what i mean? like i shouldnt be like. flicking it away or have a sour look on my face. its sad, not gross.
thats just MY opinion:) but for some reason i think im gonna get some bad backlash...give it ta me, ill find out where you live.
anyway, ten years is a long time so im going to go celebrate! love to hear if anybody else has made ny mistakes...im figuring you cant top my egg one....
30 comments:
Congrats. I love the way that you said "not purposefully", I think it is an important recognition that I rarely find within the vegan community. We are still contributing to atrocities, but we are at least making an effort and that I a major start. I love your blog! (i need to comment more often...i'm awful)
Happy veganniversary!! Ten years is just so awesome and for all of that time, those oopsies that you had aren't so bad. I highly doubt any vegan hasn't made some bad decisions or made mistakes. I've certainly had my fair share!
HM, thank you so much, and i think you comment plenty! i mean that. thank you so much for saying that you like my blog and for understanding.
Molly, thank you too for understanding, they were some prety bad oopsies but i learned from them!!
Ten years is a really long time, and you're young! Congratulations! We all probably have slipped up one or two times, but you do your best :) Things will only get easier.
Wow! Way to go - that's a long time! Congratulations.
thanks Maud:) i just hate messing up, but it feels good to hve so many years "under my belt"!!
good luck, thanks! im happy probably to happy about it...hahah ttysoon
Happy Veganniversary! You're a fair one: 10 years is a long time! Veganism, and life in general for that matter, is a process of discovery...everyone has their fumbles...it's only natural.
I agree with HayMarket...living in society at large, none of us can entirely escape contributing to the atrocities, but as good-faith vegans, we are reducing the suffering and making the world a little better place, little by little.
Have fun celebrating! :D
Congrats on 10 years! We all make mistakes, and can't be perfect because somethings just CAN'T even be found vegan, like photographs and such. Sounds like you learned a lot from each instance, which is the important thing.
Another excellent post.
A few years ago, I was LOVING a local restaurant called 'Perfect Pita'. Ate there almost every day. (I still miss it). Come to find out -- their Hummus is made with feta cheese. Who the h*ll would ever think that?!
Congrats on ten years! I really like what you said about not being replused by meat in a package in a store. I do get repulsed and my kids have very rarely ever seen that department. But, what you said makes sense, about treating it with compassion and not disgust - something for me to think about.
About sugar: raw turbinado sugar is completely vegan, as well as Whole Foods' vegan cane sugar, and organic sugar that states it doesn't use animal bones in the processing step. When I list sugar in my recipes, I think I always say vegan or raw sugar. Great job, Michelle!
Congrats on 10 years!!!
and thank you for sharing your opinion, because every time i see meat at the grocery store or at my moms house wrapped in those plastic packages, i think and say "gross"! but you are sooo right... its sad, not gross. its not the poor dead animals fault. so thank you so much for that, i will remember it always and stop saying that its gross.
Awesome...congrats on your 10 year anni!! Great post! I never thought about packaged meat like that. I get grossed out every time I have to touch it in or out of the package. I now have a new way to look at it though. thanks! :o)
CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!
what a milestone to feel very proud of!!
i loved that you shared mistakes...it's impossible to be perfect at anything
and most people just hide their mistakes..it's nice to hear people air them...it's why you are a sweet vegan :)
i love your point about the meat
whenever my meat eating friends leave half their burger or something on their plate i say--that cow died for you--the least you can do is not throw it in the garbage
i mean--if you're gonna be responsible for another soul's death...don't make it be for nothing
i am very very far from perfect
at this point with three kids- i try to keep our home mostly vegan and slowly work on our outside world
i like to follow you because you understand the process--that it's a journey for everyone..and it takes some people a little longer to find their way than others
happy cinco de mayo - and congrats! I especially like your last paragraph about treating the body with respect. I need to work on that. Thankfully, we are an all-veg household but it comes up when eating out with others.
I have made plenty of mistakes, myself, too. None are as fun as yours, though. I was nagged into attending a Tastefully Simple party and I asked the sales rep if such and such had chicken broth, etc, in it - and she said, "No, you can add chicken to the soup. It's vegetarian." While eating my tiny little cup (maybe 2 tablespoons) I suspected she didn't know what she was talking about. Later, I found out for sure. Ick.
My mistakes lately have tended to involve accidentally buying stuff with honey in, I've become too reliant on the allergen listings (which tell you if something has milk or egg in) and maybe a bit too lazy about the actual ingredients list. That's one to be more careful about in future. Also one of the stores we use switched their own brand onion rings to contain milk, I'm *hoping* I didn't eat any of those since I noticed before opening the newest bag (partner isn't vegan so he's working his way through them) but since the last bag is long since gone I can't know for sure.
WOWWWWW...I have never considered what you wrote about treating meat/dead animals with respect. I really love that about you; you make me think about animal issues even further - and I didn't know that was possible.
Happy Vegan Anniversary!!! 10 years IS a long time. (I mean, you don't beat my 17, but...j/k)
I also accidentally bought a silk shirt once; I usually make sure to check, but I guess I just forgot. And, like you said, the price range fooled me.
I also accidentally bought leather boots for my daughter at Target. I ALWAYS look at shoe tags first thing so I'm not sure how that happened. I had even called my sister to tell her she might want to look at the great vegan kid boots at Target. Ugh. It was after I took the tags off/she wore them that I noticed. :( :(
The first year I became vegan I ate dairy three different times - in social situations I couldn't speak up for myself. Never after that, though.
And I probably ate white sugar for about 7 years after I turned vegan. I think it was when I decided to have kids and actually was around the time I got a computer for the first time :0 - that I was able to research stuff more.
Although obviously nothing you mentioned is worth sweating over, I like that about you that you are sweet and sensitive enough that it does bother your heart.
Congratulations! I eat meat, but not much. Love, love veggies. Take care, have a good weekend.
Congrats! No worries...vegan life has a learning curve, different for everyone. Cheers!
If Hayes ate with Rick, that can't be good.
Happy belated 10th Veganniversary, Michelle! A decade of compassionate living is definitely a special, joyful milestone well worth celebrating, and I'm sorry I'm late to your party! :-)
I agree with everyone about being vegan involving a learning curve, and I've had some unintentional boo-boos also as I'm sure we all have. I'm proud of you for never having allowed it to discourage you, but instead learning from those incidents and using them to redouble your commitment to your noblest self, your heartfelt ethics and of course, the animals. You're an inspiration! xoxo
Did your anniversary greatness lead you to build a rocketship and fly away with your animals to Planet Vegan?? Or did the rapture eats you up?? ;-) Hope you're well.
Man, I'm about a month late...but HAPPY VEGANVERSARY! You know it's difficult making those distinctions about things. For a year or two after I went vegan I would eat things that were headed for the trash. Never meaty things, but I'm sure a few things I ate at that time had some dairy or egg. Not something I'm proud of now. Like most things in life, it's a learning process. I figure if you always strive for more and become more, then in the end you've done pretty well for yourself and the world around you. By the way...where are you?! Hope to see a post soon!
Hey, are you doing okay?
Roxanne
Congratulations on 10 years of mindful eating and living. A few mistakes are bound to happen but it's your intentions that are always most important.
Just wanted to drop by to let you know I miss seeing you post! I hope all is well. :)
Am late on this one, but Happy 10yr Vegan Anniversary!!! It's been a beautiful & compassionate intention for 10yrs- yay you!!
Hey, Dirty Duck, did you fly north for the summer? Like Molly, I miss your fun posts and comments and hope all is well!
Seriously, I'm getting worried. Are you okay?
Roxanne
28 f*cking posts congratulating you on 10 years vegan and you can't even bother to update your blog.
Sheesh!
If any of Michelle's readers are still out there, come to MY BLOG! I'm there every day folks! 365! Don't forget to tip your waitress.
people are worrying? and yes shen does it daily? does she ever leave her 40 (4) for vacation? hopefully that is where you are!
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