My Journey

This section explains why and how I decided to get off a well-traveled road and take the barely-beaten path to Vegan. It serves as my journal of my experiences along the way. Included you will find background (the why), a roadmap (the how), and observations I make of my behaviors (the what).

Background. Over the past three years, three separate events added together have served snap me out of habit and routine. The first event in 1998 was from a personal perspective which occurred in my last graduate course which was on Personal Power. The second event in 1999 was from a global perspective which occurred when I participated in the World Future Society Conference held in Washington, D.C. The third event in 2000 integrated the two previous experiences showing me how my personal actions affect the planet. In this section, I describe these events and how they led to my decision to veer off the main road onto one less traveled.  Also in this section is my "roadmap," presented in matrix form, of signposts I'm looking for that tell me I'm staying on the road to Vegan.

1998. As a career woman, using my mind has been my way of making a living. A few years ago and into my forties, I realized that the harder my mind got from use, the softer my body got from dis-use. A 40-50 hour workweek in front of a computer, plus graduate school, was wreaking havoc on my body. Add this to a full family life and something's got to go...and what "went" was always my healthful eating habits and exercise regime. It was almost as if my body were nothing more than a wheelbarrow for my head, and a wheelbarrow that was fast wearing out. In my last graduate course on personal power, I finally admitted this to myself and resolved that I would change, becoming more "mindful" of my physical self. That was two years ago. 

1999. Fresh with a Master of Science degree in Applied Behavioral Science from Johns Hopkins University, I participated in the World Future Society Conference held in Washington, D.C. There I learned that all my studies in personal, group, and organizational change could be scaled outside of an organizational context to communities, societies, and the entire planet. The conference and its worldwide representation provided new insights to the phrase "global village."

2000. One special person, who is already there, was my inspiration to start this journey which is changing my life choices in ways I never imagined. I met her as a fellow student at a training course hosted by the Society for Organizational Learning in Boston. She spoke with great compassion about how our eating habits affect not only our health, but the health of the planet. She gave out two books to anyone interested, both by John Robbins: Diet for a new America and Diet for a new world.  (See Resources.) I changed my eating habits as I was reading Diet for a new America. When I finished his book, I knew my life would be different from then on. The descriptions of how animals are so cruelly treated, how the earth is systematically reduced from goodness, and the consequences of how these actions affect humans was so compelling that I changed my eating habits in the blink of an eye. I'm still fine-tuning that change and have found that other changes are necessary to achieve congruency with a new set of beliefs. (See About Vegan.) Further research has only served to underscore Robbins thoughts and feelings. (See Howard Lyman's website at http://www.madcowboy.com.)

My journey began Easter Week 2000. My family was on vacation in Ocean City, MD. I found that, not surprisingly, beach foods and whole foods are mutually exclusive. I also found that, in America, vegetarian means including dairy, fish, cheese, and eggs, even though none of those foods are vegetables. I spent the week with my family enjoying time off from work, reading, walking, beaching, and experimenting with new foods. Good thing our vacation place had a kitchen!

The Roadmap.  I adapted for use, elements of a Vegan lifestyle which were noted in Joanne Stepaniak's The vegan sourcebook (see Resources ):  Food, Clothing, Personal Care and Household Items, Human Health, Animal Activism, Environmental Activism, Social Activism, Peace Activism, Enhanced Spirituality, and Evolving Worldview. Since the changes encompass all aspects of life, I'm trying to approach this in a way that won't overstress me, my family, or my friends. The journey should be an adventure for all of us. I have separated these elements into time frames, adding a multi-time dimensionality to my roadmap (Einstein would like that).  I have also included my thoughts and feelings for the elements which I am experiencing currently and will add more as I go.

SIGNPOSTS

BEFORE JOURNEY

ON THE ROAD

NEARING VEGAN

Over the next 3-5 years...

Food

"Vegetarian" for health purposes, meaning no meat from mammals. OK...an occasional hamburger. 

"Vegan-style" for the health of the planet, fellow creatures and me. Taking vegan cooking classes with my husband and son-- fun!

Eating nothing that originated from an animal (that includes bees).

Thoughts and Feelings. I am learning to ask for "vegan" cuisine instead of describing what it is I don't eat. Have eliminated most all honey. Haven't reconciled wine, yet...much of it is processed through filters of crushed bone. My husband hasn't eaten red meat in 20+ years and we never had it in the house, so our son's exposure to red meat is a burger or a taco. 

Clothing

I like and choose the "best" fabrics...wools, silks, cashmeres, leather. And pearl jewelry is among my favorites.

I will wear out and/or replace my formerly "best fabrics" for natural or  human-made fabrics. I'm also not buying pearl jewelry.

Wearing clothing made from natural or human-made fabrics.

Thoughts and Feelings. I spent the last 10-20 years putting together a career wardrobe of silks, wools, leather, and cashmere. It is not economical to trade in my clothes for a closet full of new ones. Instead, I have stopped buying clothes made from animal products and will replace what wears out--I'm hard on shoes so that part will be sooner than later. Here's a question, though...is wearing fake fur still supporting the wearing of real fur? So far, I'm thinking yes.

Personal Care and Household Items

The "best" in both regardless of content.

I'm checking all ingredients and switching out both cosmetics and household items.

"Green" cosmetics and household products.

Thoughts and Feelings. It is amazing how animal products are in everything, especially cosmetics, and even household products. I'm trying a line of cosmetics from Yves Rocher (see http://www.yvesrocherusa.com.) Have begun experimenting with recycled papers and environment-friendly household products.

Human Health

I'm forever losing 5-10 lbs. (the same 5-10 lbs, by the way). "Comfort" food actually makes me more discomfortable.

I feel lighter. It's not just the 7 lbs. I dropped after a few weeks, it's a lightness versus the fullness from my former eating habits.

Having the best nutritional balance for my body's needs.

Thoughts and Feelings. I have got a ways to go here. I'm exercising more regularly, paying very close attention to what I eat. Next steps are to determine gauges of my health, for example, does my new regimen cause a chance in my weight, blood-test results, bone density, etc.? I have studies T'ai Chi for a couple of years. This year I got serious about it.

Over the next 5-10 years...

Animal Activism

Didn't get what "those  animal rights activists" were about.

Now I get it!

Working publicly or politically on behalf of animals.

Environmental Activism

The family recycles paper, plastic, and glass--my county makes it easy by providing a receptacle and pick-up times.

I am more vigilant about recycling. I am more inclined to buy organically-grown products.

Reducing, reusing, recycling: paper, plastic, glass, clothes, driving. Living energy-efficiently. Supporting environmental organizations.

Thoughts and Feelings. My family has recycled glass, plastic, and paper for years. We can still be more mindful of what we buy and how we dispose of it.

Social Activism

Didn't get what "those  social activists" were about.

 

Understanding more about how mistreatment of animals is often connected to the mistreatment of people.

Taking personal responsibility to question assumptions of society's traditions and habits.

Peace Activism

Didn't get what "those  peace activists" were about.

Violence is violence...against people, animals, or the environment. 

Understanding...that gentleness cannot be a product of violence, harmony cannot be a product of strife, and peace cannot be a product of contention and conflict.

            Stanley Sapon

Over a lifetime...

Enhanced Spirituality

I didn't feel connected to the greater planetary system of life.

I feel more connected to something much greater than myself..

Feeling connected and inter-related to creatures great and small and to the environment which supports us all.

Evolving Worldview

Human beings are "it."

As a human being, I am not the center of the universe--I am part of a greater "it."

Practicing...a truly compassionate and nonviolent lifestyle touches so many other lives and sets such a wonderful example for building a gentler, more peaceful and ethical world--a world with less suffering, oppression, violence, and pain.

Shari Kalina

Behaviors. Here are changes and observations that I notice about myself and others.

Personal.  

  • For the most part, I eat a vegan diet. Have eliminated most all foods with honey (am taking a nutritional supplement which contains it and would like to find a replacement).

  • I am in the kitchen again. Sounds normal? Not for me. I was there because good meals are important, but eating out was always better (not really, just rationalized that to myself). My husband took over the kitchen when he retired over 2 years ago. This spring I moved back into the kitchen, only with a different agenda and with good results (contrary to my former track record).

  • I don't buy clothes with animal products in them. My fall wardrobe is basically last year's with a couple of additions. I am wearing what's in my closet until it's worn out.

  • I found plant-derived cosmetics and am switching out my old stuff for the new.

  • I got serious with T'ai Chi, an ancient form of Chinese martial arts that helps me balance body, mind, and spirit.

  • I am more tuned into animal rights organizations, what they're doing, and the type of press they get.

Others.

  • My family is terrific. They know that when I have a passion about an issue, well, there's no stopping me. We take "field trips" together--to grocery stores, restaurants, and natural product stores. We take an occasional cooking class together and experiment with new recipes at home. We are investing more time in the kitchen.

  • Answering the question, Why did you decide to go vegan? is way harder than I imagined. Here's why:

    • If I say, it's to protect my health, I hear many reasons for why milk, eggs, and meat are nutritionally vital.

    • If I say, it's to protect animals, I hear about the ubiquitous food-chain or that plants have feelings, too, why stop with animals.

    • And if I say, it's to protect the environment, I hear a hundred reasons for how I'm   not doing that otherwise or how my personal contribution won't make a dent.    

    When I think about it, a vegan lifestyle challenges western society's basic-most traditions and the myths upon which many of those traditions are based. I find this phenomenon both fascinating and frustrating! A recent "Dear Carolyn" letter  in the Washington Post (Tell Me About It, September 3, 2000) mirrored my own experiences. Carolyn's response to the query, How do I answer the question, Why are you a vegetarian? is simple: "My oldest friend is a cow." Maybe I'll try that answer and see what happens.

  • When explaining to a friend what my sandwich was made of (lettuce, tomato, nayonaise and barbecued tofu on a whole-grain roll), she responded. "Neat. Can I have a bite?" This was an exceptional response, but a wonderful memory to reflect on when I get the usual response to my explanation--a screwed up face accompanied by the person sticking out their tongue.