Vegan Myths

http://veganfeministagitator.blogspot.com/2012/09/top-ten-frequently-repeated-often.html

Anyone who is or ever was vegan has heard every one of these myths. And many more, to be sure.

It is fascinating to me how deep food goes into our culture and our individual psyches. When we have family gathered together, a meal if usually the central focus. When we celebrate a religious observance, a meal is often a major focus. A chunk of our daily family time revolves around a meal.

The food we eat, then, has taken on an almost sacred significance.

Changing this attitude is revolutionary.

Most of us have a difficult time looking at our attitudes and behaviors in any realistic sense. We know we are right and wrong, but often don't truly care to change.

Most people will do nearly anything to have to even look at these deep truths about themselves.

We create excuses. We create elaborate systems of justification.

We blame others.

It's so much easier to say, "It's someone else's fault." They have to deal with it. I don't have to.

This is the easy way.

In reality, things are not so simple. In reality, our own behaviors and attitudes are shaped and molded by our cultures, family, biases, experiences. In reality, there is only us.

Realizing this brings about difficulty, as now we have to look at our own actions and reactions. Maybe we aren't so sinless afterall ...

Food is a further difficulty because it stretches into so many other aspects of our lives.

When we make a decision to be vegan, we are pushing over a long row of dominoes that stretch around all our behaviors.

This is a beautiful thing! And at the same time, terrifying. It leads us to the unknown. It leads us on an adventure to discover ourselves; our true selves. This true self is often someone we barely know. And most people do not set out to be adventurers.

Once we lift the veil covering the injustices in our food system, we have to change. Our souls yearn for Truth. We may cover it up; pile it over with excuses, but like magnets, we are eventually drawn to it.

A simple step will lead to different Universe.

A Universe where there is only us, and a mirror.

Where we realize we don't want to suffer. We don't have to suffer.

Finally, the end of our suffering, lies in the end of all suffering.

For there is only us, and a mirror.





 

Superheroes

I am here to change the world.

So are you.

Think about it. We have become manifest from pure spirit, from pure possibility. Why else, but to push evolution along to great compassionate state we are all meant to be.

Our very birth seems to have been a fulfilled prophecy. 

We are made in the image of God. God is in us as we are in God. We have only one path to walk, and that is ultimately towards full realization.

And we're not doing it alone.

We're all pushing humanity, and we're all given powers to help us achieve this.

That's a powerful thought.

We're all super heroes. 

Mentoring

I've been asked to be a Vegan Mentor.

And I'm quite honored.

When I ventured down this path 6 years ago, there was only the internet to help me. My girlfriend and I were the only people I knew who were vegan, and I didn't even know any vegetarians. In fact, food was such a small thought in my life until that point. We would spend hours discussing what we wanted, chicken or hamburger, or fish. But other than that, food never played a conscious role in my, nor any of my friends' lives.

Until my father was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

And I began to realize that the ancient adage, you are what you eat, had some serious merit to it.

The things we ingest have consequences.

My family is small, with regular contact consisting mainly of my mom and aunt, and they were both very supportive.

One year before going vegan, I distinctly remember asking my mom how to use the stove to warm up soup from a can. Home cooked was not really something my family did much of, certainly not much "from scratch."

So, one of the big first steps I had was to learn about cooking. My girlfriend at the time taught me a lot about cooking, spicing, and we got some great cookbooks, which really helped. Before long, a startling discovery was made ... Cooking was something fun! Rock some good music and dance and make food. What part of that wouldn't make for a good evening?

A little Michael Jackson and an eggplant marinara!

Perfect!

So, now I am part of this community of vegan mentors. Folks who are happy to answer questions, give suggestions, point folks to good web resources, show you around the grocery store. All to help someone's transition into an ethical, healthful, and peaceful way of living.

Send me your questions. I'm happy to help.

Letter from a Pig

Every so often, I get amazing feedback. Feedback that reminds me why I am singing and why this journey is my life.

The following letter is one such example. It brings tears to my eyes every time I read this:

OK, so I've been meaning to write to you since Sunday. This is going to be a long post, be warned. 

Not sure how much you know about pigs, but I thought I'd give you a little info about Eleanor. :) 

So, Ellie is a Vietnamese Pot-Bellied Pig, she's 13 and a half years old, and we adopted her from a closing farm sanctuary two years ago. When we adopted her, she was significantly under-weight (only 45 pounds!), because she had been residing with three other much larger pigs, who would eat all her food and she wouldn't really get a lot to eat. She's a very slow eater and couldn't stand up for herself. She had also never really interacted with a family before, so when she came to live with us, she was very scared and frightened, and it took about six months or so before she really trusted us fully. She is incredibly intelligent; she learned all of the obedience signals our dog knows in only an hour. She's also incredibly mischievous, as are most pot-bellies. She learned how to un-do pretty much all of the baby-proofing we did in no time at all. She can open doors, screw-top canisters, cabinets, and the refrigerator. She'll do pretty much anything to get to a tasty snack. She's a very healthy 104 pounds now, perfect size for her frame. :)

Ellie has the most wonderful sense of humor. She loves slapstick comedy (Charlie Chaplin and The Three Stooges are her faves), watching pig videos on youtube, and will play tricks on you just to get you to laugh. She is incredibly affectionate, loves to cuddle and have her belly rubbed, and is convinced she is a lap pig. She's highly social, loves being around lots of people, and adores having her pigture taken. When she hears the flash of the camera she grins, showing her teeth, to prompt the picture-taker to take another photo. She's a ham (pun intended).

She has always loved music, but has definite likes and dislikes. She dislikes rap, country, and most popular stuff. She likes blues, opera and jazz. Yet I've never seen her have the reaction to music that she had at the Peace, Love and Wedrose concert where she first heard you perform. She was in. a trance. Not sure how much you saw or heard about afterward, but she raised her bristles in a mohawk (a sign that she is very happy) and tuned into your voice and wouldn't take her eyes off of you the whole time. At the end of each song, when people started applauding, she jumped out of her skin and got frightened each and every time. She had been in such a state of zen that she lost perception of what was happening around her. I have never seen her like that.

Brian D bought her your CD that day, and since then, she has listened to it dozens of times. She always gets so happy listening to your music. It's amazing to watch her.

When I first heard about your concert on Sunday, my only thought was that I had to bring Ellie. So, David was nice enough to agree to a piggy houseguest, and she journeyed the three hours to the burbs to come see you.

Something I left out of her story above... about a year ago, Ellie had a very serious back injury. She was being lifted into my bed, as she was demanding to cuddle with me, and she slipped a disk in her back and lost all ability to control her bodily functions. She couldn't walk, was in incredible pain and was crying hysterically (pigs cry tears just as humans do). Her doctor told me she would probably never walk again. Still he gave her some meds, and we did piggy chiropractic care, herbal salves, acupuncture, steroids, and physical therapy... and amazingly, about four weeks later, she took her first few steps. She definitely doesn't have full mobility, but I'd place it at about 60%, which is incredible considering that I was being told by everyone that it was pretty much a lost cause. She can't do stairs very well at all, has difficulty getting herself to a standing position, and tires very easily, needing to sit and rest. She can barely walk on slippery surfaces and is, justifiably, terrified of floors where she can't get traction (like the floors at David's house). It was difficult for her to get into the bedroom from across the house, as she kept slipping and falling. But, she barely complained since she heard your music coming from that direction. Once in the room, she walked past everyone sitting down and would only lay down in the very front of the crowd, where she could see you.

I tell you all this so that you know of how absolutely amazing it is that she not only willingly crossed an entire house's worth of slippery flooring to get a front row seat for your concert, but even MORE astounding is what happened when you left the room to dance through the house. I couldn't believe my eyes when she got up all on her own and, tail wagging like a metronome, FOLLOWED YOU across the terrifying floor and into the kitchen. She NEVER does that. I have watched the video I shot of it happening over a dozen times and I still can't believe it. She just simply couldn't bear to be away from you, or your music.

Thank you so much for your art, and for making my girl so very happy. I just really wanted you to know how grateful I am for you, and how incredibly loved you are by my porcine baby. We'll be in touch about a private birthday concert for her this summer, if you're willing. I know that nothing in the world would make her as happy as that. ♥ - Corrine DiLorenzo

Ahimsa

My journey to nonviolence really began in college, where I found Tolstoy. Prior to this, I wouldn't say I was a violent person, but I didn't give it a lot of thought. I was, a typical American. Having no exposure to the nonviolent thinkers of the last century, nor any of the centuries prior, small acts of violence could be heroic, and of course growing up with Superman and Spiderman, evil could only be defeated by physical might!

Sometime toward the end of high school, I grew an interest in philosophy and spirituality. I began picking up books by Neitchze, Kant, Huxley, and Plato. At the same time I started reading books on religion and spirituality. Religion didn't really play any part in my life then. Church was someplace we went on Christmas Eve and sometimes on Easter. That was it.

But this stuff was intriguing! This stuff was stuff that the pastor never spoke of in Church.

And this all led me to Tolstoy.

Russian authors are my favorite! Their overly verbose, thick books describing characters so real to me, though I was so removed from their time and life. These 900 page books would enrapture and engross me until I had finished them. Dostoevsky was and still is my favorite of these authors. His work was my first foray into the Russian writer. Notes From the Underground and Other Writings struck me deeper than anything else I had read up to that point. Specifically the story, White Nights. The brilliance of this story, the longing ... it all jumped off the page. And I was hooked. Next came the Brothers Karamozov, my all time favorite novel.

At some point I read a short story collection from Tolstoy, and found his style equally inviting. It came quite naturally then that I would pick up his book The Kingdom of God is Within You. This book outlined his intense belief in nonviolence (or nonresistence to conflict), and was expressly built upon the life and teachings of Christ. These ideas were powerful, but what was powerful still was that he changed his life to live my those ideals. This is the power we all hold - the power of example.

From there, his book, The Gospel in Brief, culled the teachings and life of Christ out of the rest of Christianity, and spoke quite deeply to me. This wasnt the mumbo jumbo that I felt religion was. No, this was practical, and peaceful.

And possible!

These two books heavily influenced Gandhi and were what ultimately led me to the writings of Gandhi. Gandhi's life-long quest for Ahimsa and Truth have inspired many amazing things in the world. The idea of changing the world by changing yourself was a very new idea to me. And such a powerful; one! You don't have to be Superman. You don't have to be Bruce Willis. You don't even have to physically fight evil.

It is in this spirit of deep inspiration that I'd like to pass on what Ahimsa means. After you read the following, really take a minute to think about the implications, and how joyful our lives can be if we sign our lives over to this principle. Meditate upon these ideals for a minute.

The 6 Pillars of Ahimsa

A- Abstinence from Animal Products
H- Harmlessness with reverence for life
I- Integrity of thought, word, and deed
M- Mastery over oneself
S- Service to humanity, nature, and creation
A- Advancement of understanding and truth 

Some Encouragement

Three things to keep in mind when making the vegan life change:

1. You can do it!
You can do anything, and this is a task you have the strength to undergo. Take those first steps, and if the going is tough, keep focusing on each little step. You always have people to turn to for help and encouragement. Even if your family or friends are not as supportive as they should be, there is a wonderful community of veg folks who would be happy to mentor you.

2. Eat a variety.
One of the common problems people have with vegan and vegetarianism is when they dont eat a variety of veggies and grains. Yes, there is vegan junk food. I mean, Oreos are technically vegan. Soups are a great way to get a lot of nutrients, fairly easily. Fresh veggies are all around, and there are some wonderful winter farmer's markets still roaring all across the country.

3. Your change is changing the world!
Yes, it's true the steps you are taking right now are making an overall difference in the world. You might not see it; it might not be overly apparent, but it is true. The small steps we each make add up to a large wave of compassion that changes the lives of others close and far away.

Adventures in the Tetons (cont)

December 30

The Oxbow

It was -10 below much of the day.

At these temperatures the air is literally crystalizing. It shimmered in every direction, kissing my face and hands and coat.

Warmth is all about layering. A long sleeve layer of  Under Armor,  a light long sleeve jacket, a heavy vest, and a think outer jacket together keep one nice and toasty. Snowshoeing generates a lot of heat and energy. Lifting ones leg up through three feet of snow on each step can turn up your inner furnace pretty quickly.

The Oxbow is a place of great beauty. The Snake River winds out of Jackson Lake at the Jackson Lake Dam, and creates this little oxbow area shortly thereafter before heading south. This area is habitat for about every creature that lives in the ecosystem.  In the spring, the large open sage fields on two sides of the river are calving grounds for a large elk herd. This, in turn, makes it prime country for Grizzly Bears. They tend to spend a decent amount of time in this area, when they aren’t hibernating. Willows line part of the shore and are such home to several moose. An otter family lives toward the back of the oxbow, and eagles, swans, sandhill cranes, and pelicans are always around. Wolves also stop by, and there are a few coyotes with dens close to the river.

Snowshoeing this area is enrapturing to me, especially because it is difficult to venture into in the summer. Not only the high chance of running into a Grizzly mama and cubs, but there is a lot of wetland and marshy areas near the river. So it’s an area I only get to explore in the winter.

Not many folks venture into this area, possibly because of the heavy snowfall (it is north in the park, which gets more snow). Whatever the reason, I am glad that I have it to myself.

The mighty Tetons tower to the west. Magical Mt. Moran is perfectly framed with the water and sits at a marvelous angle that one gleans nearly only from this vantage point.

After a short climb over the six foot tall plowed snow banks, I wind through a series of willows. The snow here is tricky, as it lays on top of very uneven surfaces and bushes. Frequently one foot drops down to the hip. But after some negotiating, the willows are left behind, and ahead stretches a wondrous open field which slopes down to the mostly frozen river on two sides. Many deer and coyote tracks dash this way and that.

An eagle calls a greeting (or sounds our arrival) from a dense stand of large pines and cottonwoods. Though it sits on the uppermost branch, it takes a while to locate. The nest in which it will live in the spring is two trees over, and giant.

Another eagle responds from across the river.

Other than this, there is absolute silence. Silence to the point you make a small vocalization simply to make sure you haven’t lost your hearing.

The upper route is not a flat, easy path, though it seems it. The shoreline waves in, sometimes several hundred feet, causing you to either go all the way around it, or down into the little valley and back up the other side.      

The day feels quite warm by the time I reach the far bank of the river. The sun has been shining proudly, my face is getting a tan despite the zero degree day. I unzip my outer jacket.

The far bank of the river is bordered by a tight forest one the back side. The eastern side winds along the open field before heading into the forest. The western branch runs along open fields all the way to the dam, a mile or more west. Here the river is not totally frozen. Numerous ducks swim along. A very large beaver crawls out of the water, gnawing on something there on the snowy ice.

Farther west along on the shore, I muskrat swims. A few of the ducks there angrily shuffle off. Coyote tracks dot this whole scene. Often I have seen the otter family playing on the banks, sliding down big piles of snow like a ride at a water park. Today, though, they are off elsewhere.

The second eagle is finally visible as it sits stealthily still on a branch near the very top of a large pine directly across the river from me.

Time ceases to exist here. If it wasn’t for the movement of the sun and the approaching evening, I would have no idea as to the length of time spent. One of the great mysteries of the woods is its ability to transport you to a place where time doesn’t exist. Where your mind is not thinking about how long you’re hiking. 

Hours pass swiftly here, and stand still at the same time.

After several hours basking in the wildness and exploring the shore, I head back, following a long trail of coyote tracks. This is his hunting route. Every now and again the tracks are accented with big puff out sections where the coyote punched into the snow after the little mole or other such small ground creature that runs under the snow.

Some tracks drifted off, away from the shore, leading to his den, tucked neatly against where the land juts up to the field. The angle of the uprising, and the piles of snow create a natural den, and the coyote has taken great advantage of this. The coyote himself came jogging out of his den after I had nearly finished the hike.  

Clouds had begun to move in, wrapping around Mt. Moran like a shawl. A brilliant purple shawl. The setting sun was throwing cool pastel colors upon the mountain like a child imitating Jackson Pollack.

A moose wondered out of the willows on the far side of the river from me as I climbed the bank back up to my van.

What a wondrous place!