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| Our Voices |
| P.O. Box 126 * Negaunee, MI 49866 * (906) 236-1279 * info@northernvegans.com |
| This page is designed to showcase the personal journeys of Northern Vegans members as they made the transition to a plant-based diet. |
choosing whole wheat over white flour, avoiding hydrogenated oils, and,
during the PCB scare in Michigan in the 1970s, she had us drink only
powdered milk from out of the state since there was fear of contamination
in Michigan's dairy supply. So the idea of evaluating what I was eating and
making better food choices was not a foreign one. It appears to me that
many people simply have never thought deeply about questions regarding
what they put in their mouths and eat. Unfortunately, if you look at the
public in general, they will eat just about anything society arbitrarily labels
"food".
Secondly, I had always loved animals and had many pets and was
especially fascinated with tropical fish. I worked in a tropical fish/pet store
during high school and was enamored with the idea of becoming an
ichthyologist and traveling to exotic places to study fish. It was this
experience at the pet store that made me acutely aware of the suffering
intrinsically involved when we view animals as commodities. I vividly recall
that my least favorite routine at the shop was netting out the dead fish in
the morning before we opened- often there were literally hundreds of dead
fish everyday and this is typical in the pet trade. I became so bothered by
this that I even started writing a manifesto of sorts decrying the abuses of
the fish trade, comparing it to the human slave trade. As a result, I even
stopped eating fish because I viewed them as my friends just like any kid
would view his dog or cat. Very few people in our society would consider
eating dog or cat flesh even though it is as routine in some societies as
eating cows, chickens, or pigs.
College was a true intellectual and philosophical awakening for me. As a
humanities major, I chose courses that introduced me to environmental
issues and was profoundly impacted by the American
poet/environmentalist Gary Snyder and his pulitzer prize-winning book of
poetry, Turtle Island. One poem in particular became sort of a mantra for
me and encouraged me to try to contribute something positive to the world
rather than leave it damaged:
'The Great Mother' by Gary Snyder
Not all those who pass in front of the Great Mother's chair get passt with
only a stare, some she looks at their hands to see what sort of savages
they were.
I owe the choice of becoming a vegetarian to a college friend who had just
become a vegetarian himself. He was highly influenced by Morissey of the
alternative music group, The Smiths, and their album "Meat is Murder". As
only a good friend could do, he consistently berated me for continuing to
eat animals and claiming to care about them at the same time. At first, I
was resistant but something was nagging inside of me and deep down I
knew he was right so I tried vegetarianism for a month trial period and
never turned back. I really wasn't that interested in the health benefits of
vegetarianism but was more sold on the idea that I could live healthy on a
vegetarian diet and not have to be part of the killing of animals anymore.
With further research, about a year later I decided to become a pure
vegetarian or vegan for the simple reason that for every reason one
chooses to be a vegetarian, veganism is the logical evolution and the
fulfillment of that rationale. I think that's the great selling point of the vegan
lifestyle: if you can eat a diet that is much better for your heatlh, is
enormously kinder to the ecology of our planet, and does not necessitate
the killing of sensient beings- why wouldn't you? So when people ask me
why I'm vegan, I try to explain it softly at first so as not to leave them feeling
attacked but I would really like to ask them- why are you not vegan?
So why am I vegan? Ultimately, the well-lived life involves an earnest
search for higher truth and meaning. The great thing about veganism is
that it is inclusive not exclusive- it benefits you and every being it considers.
It is compatible with every religion and belief system that values truth,
justice, and compassion. In my search for truth at this particular moment
in time, I consider myself an Agnostic Existentialist Vegan with a
Taoist/Anarchist slant which simply means this: I hope there is a God but
am not 100% sure of it; ultimately, God or no God, it is our choices that
come to define us best and it is how we choose to exist and spend our
time on earth that determines what the actual meaning of our life is; I have
made the choice to try to live up to the Vegan ideal- the only obvious choice
when confronted with all the facts; finally, it is the prerogative and
responsibilty of the individual to choose to honestly search their heart and
consider the thoughtful path. Please don't wait for society, the
government, your friends and family to change first- be responsible for the
manner in which you choose to live and all of the implications that entails.
My cholesterol is 126.
See Carrie & Jeff's vegan baby - born in April 2008.
Click Here To Go Back to "Our Voices"
during the PCB scare in Michigan in the 1970s, she had us drink only
powdered milk from out of the state since there was fear of contamination
in Michigan's dairy supply. So the idea of evaluating what I was eating and
making better food choices was not a foreign one. It appears to me that
many people simply have never thought deeply about questions regarding
what they put in their mouths and eat. Unfortunately, if you look at the
public in general, they will eat just about anything society arbitrarily labels
"food".
Secondly, I had always loved animals and had many pets and was
especially fascinated with tropical fish. I worked in a tropical fish/pet store
during high school and was enamored with the idea of becoming an
ichthyologist and traveling to exotic places to study fish. It was this
experience at the pet store that made me acutely aware of the suffering
intrinsically involved when we view animals as commodities. I vividly recall
that my least favorite routine at the shop was netting out the dead fish in
the morning before we opened- often there were literally hundreds of dead
fish everyday and this is typical in the pet trade. I became so bothered by
this that I even started writing a manifesto of sorts decrying the abuses of
the fish trade, comparing it to the human slave trade. As a result, I even
stopped eating fish because I viewed them as my friends just like any kid
would view his dog or cat. Very few people in our society would consider
eating dog or cat flesh even though it is as routine in some societies as
eating cows, chickens, or pigs.
College was a true intellectual and philosophical awakening for me. As a
humanities major, I chose courses that introduced me to environmental
issues and was profoundly impacted by the American
poet/environmentalist Gary Snyder and his pulitzer prize-winning book of
poetry, Turtle Island. One poem in particular became sort of a mantra for
me and encouraged me to try to contribute something positive to the world
rather than leave it damaged:
'The Great Mother' by Gary Snyder
Not all those who pass in front of the Great Mother's chair get passt with
only a stare, some she looks at their hands to see what sort of savages
they were.
I owe the choice of becoming a vegetarian to a college friend who had just
become a vegetarian himself. He was highly influenced by Morissey of the
alternative music group, The Smiths, and their album "Meat is Murder". As
only a good friend could do, he consistently berated me for continuing to
eat animals and claiming to care about them at the same time. At first, I
was resistant but something was nagging inside of me and deep down I
knew he was right so I tried vegetarianism for a month trial period and
never turned back. I really wasn't that interested in the health benefits of
vegetarianism but was more sold on the idea that I could live healthy on a
vegetarian diet and not have to be part of the killing of animals anymore.
With further research, about a year later I decided to become a pure
vegetarian or vegan for the simple reason that for every reason one
chooses to be a vegetarian, veganism is the logical evolution and the
fulfillment of that rationale. I think that's the great selling point of the vegan
lifestyle: if you can eat a diet that is much better for your heatlh, is
enormously kinder to the ecology of our planet, and does not necessitate
the killing of sensient beings- why wouldn't you? So when people ask me
why I'm vegan, I try to explain it softly at first so as not to leave them feeling
attacked but I would really like to ask them- why are you not vegan?
So why am I vegan? Ultimately, the well-lived life involves an earnest
search for higher truth and meaning. The great thing about veganism is
that it is inclusive not exclusive- it benefits you and every being it considers.
It is compatible with every religion and belief system that values truth,
justice, and compassion. In my search for truth at this particular moment
in time, I consider myself an Agnostic Existentialist Vegan with a
Taoist/Anarchist slant which simply means this: I hope there is a God but
am not 100% sure of it; ultimately, God or no God, it is our choices that
come to define us best and it is how we choose to exist and spend our
time on earth that determines what the actual meaning of our life is; I have
made the choice to try to live up to the Vegan ideal- the only obvious choice
when confronted with all the facts; finally, it is the prerogative and
responsibilty of the individual to choose to honestly search their heart and
consider the thoughtful path. Please don't wait for society, the
government, your friends and family to change first- be responsible for the
manner in which you choose to live and all of the implications that entails.
My cholesterol is 126.
See Carrie & Jeff's vegan baby - born in April 2008.
Click Here To Go Back to "Our Voices"
Jeff, 38
I grew up in a fairly mainstream upper-middle
class suburban family. I became a vegan at
the age of 21 and I can look back on my
childhood and isolate two factors that may
have been helpful in my transition towards a
vegan diet. First, my mom was a nurse and
had many concerns about nutrition. She had
me and my two sisters eating plenty of fruit,
avoiding excessive sugar and soda pop,
I grew up in a fairly mainstream upper-middle
class suburban family. I became a vegan at
the age of 21 and I can look back on my
childhood and isolate two factors that may
have been helpful in my transition towards a
vegan diet. First, my mom was a nurse and
had many concerns about nutrition. She had
me and my two sisters eating plenty of fruit,
avoiding excessive sugar and soda pop,