I Wonder Why…

I have been reading a lot about veganism lately. Having lived this lifestyle for more than forty years, I would have thought I had heard it all. But there seems to be a…new…wind blowing. I know we live in interesting times; times in which cruelty is celebrated as strength. It is beginning to translate into a sort of gloating about any misfortune that occurs around health, wellness and plant-based eating.

I could give you my understanding of this new energy in terms of Traditional Chinese Medicine, but it surely would spark outrage and backlash and I have had more than enough of that on my social media.

Instead, I would like to talk about kindness, compassion, empathy…and survival.

I recently had an email through my website from someone, cursing me for being ‘woke’ and praying that I lose everything (after a good deal of colorful language that I won’t repeat here).

Apparently, she did not like that I connected climate change to our food choices, even though animal agriculture remains the second largest source of pollution of land, air and water.. My advocating for eating a plant-based diet to step lighter on the planet was enough to send her raging through the internet into my inbox.

I wonder why discussing food’s impact on the planet makes people so upset. We live in time when our food choices may be the only control we have over how we step on Mother Earth. And I get it; I do. Eating meat, poultry, dairy and fish are baked into us culturally, traditionally.

But are we meant then, to never question the past? Are we meant to never evolve to a future that doesn’t rely on cruelty and the murder of innocent animals to enjoy eating?

Make no mistake, my friends. Living a vegan lifestyle is not about being trendy or fashionable. It’s not about expensive dining experiences or faux caviar. It’s not about creating faux meat that ‘bleeds’ so people will try it.

It’s about the survival of a livable climate for us and for future generations. It’s about living well into our golden years, with less risk of heart disease, cancer and diabetes coming to call.

Living a vegan life used to be solely about animal welfare. Then the tent expanded to include human wellness (we are after all, animals). Now, the picture is bigger and more vivid. Now, living as a vegan is thinking about the future and that takes energy and commitment.

It means pushing a rock uphill each day, enduring the tired barbs, old jokes and silly questions about your health as a vegan. It means contending with a media environment, both news and social that romanticizes the nostalgia of meat-eating, pulling a veil over the facts.

As though the costs to our planet are not real and terrifying.

Some days, it feels like we are going round after round in a boxing ring, winning here and there and getting pummeled at an alarming rate.

This is not a fight we can walk away from. Billionaires tell us that they have the technology to make Mars a livable place for humanity. Why would we not use that genius to fix the planet that selflessly nourishes us? So we have a future? So our children and future generations have a future?

I will continue my work to keep reminding people to look toward the future. The past is made of sweet memories from childhood until we stood on our own as adults, forging our path. As comforting as the past is, we must push back on a culture that wishes to keep us mired in mythical stories and face the truth of the world in which we live and the impact of our choices.

History has always looked kindly on those who looked to the future, learning from the past to create a better future.

During this month seemingly dedicated to gratitude, let’s show the ultimate thanks by stepping lighter on our planet; making choices that ensure a bright future for us all.