Ok so if you have been following me then you know I have been a long time advocate of a plant based diet.
What you may not know is that in the past I have often referred to myself as a freegan rather than a vegan.
This usually happens when two of my core principles contradict each other and one must over rule the other.
You see I am not at all a fan of wasting food, or being impolite at a dinner table.
Yet at the same time I am totally against animal cruelty of any kind no longer want to support it.
So sometimes when a meal has been prepared for me that may contain egg or milk I may decide in the moment to consume it.
Uh oh, there I said it. I may have just lost a lot of respect in the vegan community but I hope I have gained your resect as an honest human being.
The most important thing to me is to never support animal cruelty with my energy which in this modern reality translates into money.
I feel tremendously guilty knowing I have spent money on unnecessary suffering. It also does not resonate with me to support things that I do no agree with.
Fortunately for me freegan situations don’t happen to often. Usually once or twice a month I may be somewhere where something non vegan is being offered and is about to go to waste.
I don’t particularly enjoy meat, dairy or any other animal products but sometimes I can’t deny that I will get the odd craving for some muscles or clams, or maybe a bite of the birthday cake that is being offered to me. In these rare situations I may surrender myself to the moment if it feels right.
When I first decided to try veganism this helped me a lot. It almost became a game to see how often these opportunities presented themselves and during the transition I was often grateful when they did. When I accidently purchased something from the grocery store to find that it contained milk or eggs I would usually just make my peace with the situation and decide to learn from my mistake and to never purchase again.
Today these opportunities hardly ever present themselves. This is probably due to my change in social circles habits and routines. Now even when these opportunities do arise like somebody is offering me free seafood or food containing animal products I almost certainly decline them.
Despite the odd indulgence in something that I am against it always reminded me of my human existence and my imperfections. My diet is something that has become a lifelong commitment and I can proudly say it has gradually improved with time but I know in my heart I still have a long way to go.
I can honestly say in the past five years of deciding to go vegan I haven’t consciously contributed a single penny towards meat, dairy or other animal products. I don’t even feel comfortable paying for other people’s meals if that is what they are choosing to eat or drink.
If this article had a purpose it is to just be simply honest with where you are. Its ok if you don’t always get things right, or don’t always have the best self-control or self-discipline. The path is long and we get a little stronger with each day.
If veganism is too challenging for you maybe try a freegan diet instead?
I would much rather my food not have bits of animals in it and I would prefer to live in a world where animals no longer suffer for our entertainment but until then I will do my best to live in the one I was given.