21 YEARS
I've been a vegetarian for more than 21 years. Back when I and a few of my friends tried it out, there wasn't a bandwagon, nor cool people to endorse the lifestyle except Alicia Silverstone who was the poster child of the vegan/vegetarian lifestyle in the nineties.
My journey began when I ate vegetarian food at a seminar on meditation and spirituality back in the day. It was a revelation. I couldn't believe that non-meat food could taste good. So out of curiosity, I tried and started telling everyone that I was a vegetarian. It doesn't matter if I had only given up eating pork and beef at that time. I believed in my heart that I am, and so I was. After a few years, I gave up eating chicken and seafood altogether. Not forcefully as I have thought many times of doing, but naturally, which is the best strategy for myself. I have heard from others that they just quit cold turkey, but that isn't my style. And it would have just made me crave for the taste of things that I had gotten used to and enjoyed for a long time.
People around me had different reactions. Will I get enough vitamins and minerals? Have I converted into another religion? Am I insane? lol
I'm happy to say that after 21 years, I have fallen ill far less than before. It doesn't hurt that I've given up smoking and only take adult drinks on occasion. But there's a marked difference in the way I felt before and after. Coincidence, maybe? Association may not be proof of causation but I'd argue that whatever the reason for my improved health doesn't really matter; just that I feel better and can do more because of this. And no, I did not give up being a Catholic, I still am. I just found something that enhances the way I practice religion. After all, I really like the quote by Jesuit writer Pierre Teilhard de Chardin that, "We are not humans having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience." This brings me to the point of the matter: Spirituality is not about one religion, for me, it is about finding the common thread that runs through all of the great religions of the world. What stitches together the parts into a whole. What is the gasoline that makes religious thought survive throughout the centuries? What fuels individuals to connect with each other in search of the divine?
I've thought about going vegan but haven't been able to transition. I'm vegan for a few days a month but that might be enough. These days, being vegan is viewed as the gold standard for an #awakenedlife. Along with meditation, yoga, natural living, and other wonderful concepts not covered by this post, I see it as a way to level up, to make the world a better place. I don't have a hard target date for going vegan but I am making small strides in that direction: drinking soy milk instead of milk, not using eggs as much as I used to, etcetera, etcetera. This is not the best way forward for most but it is for me. It has been the way I've done things and will continue to do so in the future. Just what comes naturally to me. No pressure. Small, incremental steps.
Back in the day, we only had Bodhi Vegetarian restos at SM Malls and in Tutuban that I often visit and a few other one branch restos, such as Quan Yin Chay in Binondo, reserved for eating out. These days, anyone and their dog can eat vegetarian food - no problem. (fyi: our dogs are vegetarian!)
I operated a vegetarian resto before, it wasn't profitable because I wasn't a good businessman. I still can't claim that I am. But I learned many things from that experience, and because of that, I have improved the way I look at a business venture. In this case, one must be certain that it is a business and not a charity nor a nonprofit that I am operating. And this is the first rule of business that I have followed since which is to be crystal clear about the reasons for starting it in the first place. What are the goals of the business? What financial models to use? How to best source out the freshest ingredients at the right time? I have since learned about social enterprises and do actually support them. Earning a profit for doing something you love while helping others is a lot better than just profit for profit's sake, which kinda makes me feel good.
And that is the point of this blog post, being a vegetarian for more than two decades is proof that you won't die by giving up meat and fish. It makes one feel good. And, if ever there were deficiencies in vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients, well, I don't really feel it now. Let's talk again after another twenty years or so.
IN CONCLUSION
Being a vegetarian in the Philippines is a blessing. We have an abundance of the freshest fruits and vegetables one can find and there is always a farmers' market nearby. Things that make it easy to be conscious about the way I eat and how it can affect my health and well-being. For the most part, it comes as no surprise that those around me are vegetarians. But it doesn't stop there. After all, a wise man once said "a journey is best measured in friends rather than miles" - Tim Cahill.
This has been a long and winded post already. Thanks if you've gotten this far.
Good day and blessings to all!
*I used canva.com in creating the thumbnail image. Otherwise, I used my photos here.