Friday, July 27, 2018

Vegan for the peace of it, inspiration from a veteran soldier

This morning I watched a video of a seasoned vet with a different perspective on going Vegan, due to having witnessed and possibly participated in violence as a career. Now, I'm not the military type. Never have been. Never will be. But for some reason, this gentleman really got through to the core of me with his purpose for going Vegan.

He said, although not in these exact words, that he was sick of death, blood and violence. That he was searching instead for life and rejecting death. And that for him, that sense of inner peace now starts on his plate. He feels better knowing that he is projecting peace with his diet. In other words, it gives him a base of operations for how he lives his life.

You might think it crazy that as a peace sign throwing hippie child, I would find common ground with a former soldier. And that, after so many years struggling to overcome the cheese addiction that was blocking my being altogether vegan, this vet made me feel something that just might be the catalyst for me to “go all the way”

Now, my Vegan friends, don't get all up in arms here. Please. The amount of cheese I consume is minuscule at best. But I do cave occasionally. I've always admitted that I'm not a perfect Vegan. However, the point is that after hearing this gentleman speak of his rejection of death, blood and violence, I truly feel that I'm ready to make that full Vegan transition now.

Which is a good thing, so don't bring me down now, of all times, please.

And you know as well as I do what I'm talking about. There are a lot of angry Vegans out there. And maybe their anger is justified. Certainly it is. They are angry over the death and suffering of other animals at the hands of omnivores, whether directly or indirectly. They tend to be brutally intolerant of those who are not Vegan because of this. Particularly those like myself who should know better.

Their anger is not inspiring to me. But this man, this former harbinger of death, so to speak, who has decided that he is fed up with death and is extremely joyful and happy in his new life as a Vegan, may very well be the catalyst for my own personal change.

I think it has a lot to do with his aura. He's completely at peace with his choice. He feels good about himself for making it. And most of all, he's done with the anger. He's done with the death. He's not spreading his beliefs in a forcible manner. He's spreading them in a peaceful manner. And peace and joy and love, my friends, should be at the core of anyone professing to be Vegan, shouldn't it?

I mean, isn't that what this is all about? The rejection of violence? The joy of living life knowing that your core purpose is to do no harm?

And here is this veteran, telling us all, from the perspective of someone who has had direct involvement in the violence of war, that peace begins on our plates. Here is the most unlikely of people, showing Vegans how to peacefully project their beliefs.

He doesn't judge. He doesn't preach. He's not sarcastic or offensive. He doesn't insult others who consume animal products. He doesn't throw red paint at people. He simply emits peace, love and joy from every core of his being. He's happy with his choice and it shows. Now that's something to aspire to and be inspired by! Vegan for the peace of it. I like it.