"Firsts"

That pivotal day leading to the banishment of meat from my diet forever reveals a short but interesting story. All my life I accepted meat on my plate at almost every meal from bacon at breakfast to meatloaf at dinnertime. I KNOW I mentioned in an earlier post my infatuation with liverwurst sandwiches on wheat with ketchup, gross. Even grosser, I admit I dabbled in a bit of sorority madness during my second year of college at Pacific, in Stockton in 1995. As a Delta Gamma I not only proudly donned an anchor sweatshirt 'round campus but also paid to eat exclusively in the sorority house kitchen most meals.



Sitting at the table for dinner one night, I separated a piece of meat from the chicken bone and literally thought, "This could EASILY be the bone of my dog, featuring HIS meat and not some faceless chicken." That was it. I couldn't stomach the idea of eating meat again. Granted, I did eat shrimp and crab on occasion, and continued to peruse and consume items found in the dairy aisle until about 3 years ago when I began following a strict vegan regimen.
I remember how elated I felt to be on a new adventure. Humans CRAVE "firsts." First time you travel to a foreign land, first time you drive a car by yourself, first time you drive your new car, first child being born, having sex for the first time, first boyfriends, your first job, etc. There is a need for fresh experiences. Giving myself the confidence to become a vegan who makes sacrifices for animals and the earths well-being was challenging at first, but now its almost like a series of "firsts" everyday. There is always someone new to talk to about food and how great it feels to go to the doctor with no fear of health problems. There is always a new product to try at the store or a new restaurant featuring vegan items. Honestly, it may seem as if the bar is set low so expectations are met, but I cannot tell you how GREAT it feels to not be responsible for ANY animals being slaughtered or treated poorly because I WANT to eat a steak, drink some milk, eat some cheese or wear a cows skin on my feet. Talk about a huge weight pulled from the shoulders.
I find that my choice to partake in no animal anything results in my desire to try new things in other aspects of my life. Take this blog for instance. If I did not strictly follow my own advice, no one would read this blog. Thanks to my dedicated readers, I am fueled enough to continue writing! I know old habits die hard, but remember the first time you took a trip to Europe or made out with your girl/boyfriend? Damn thats fun! Its time to make a couple of changes to renew your life. Its easier than you think. For one day, try eating foods that your great-great grandmother would recognize as food. I think you will be surprised in how many firsts you experience in this experiment!