Vegetarian Testimonial No. 6
A Vegetarian For 18 Years
As most children probably do, I grew up loving animals. But while most kids could disconnect the fundamental realities involved in getting a chunk of meat from a living creature to their dinner plate, I could not. In fact, I couldn’t help but see a connection between the attractively packaged meat in the supermarket and my adored pets. Despite the obvious discomfort, taking a lifestyle stand that would affect a significant number of choices made throughout the day was just simply too difficult for an elementary school kid. The catalyst for exploring vegetarianism actually came years later during a school campaign to purchase land in the Brazilian rainforest to protect it from deforestation by the American beef industry. While to me this was still a cause for saving animals, this campaign also brought to light the positive environmental impact of vegetarianism and solidified for me that this one act of protest was something I could completely stand behind on several ideological fronts.
Before long, this simple act of protest evolved into a personal philosophy and in many ways a personal religion—today I follow it without thought. It has essentially become a part of who I am, and I live my life as… full… as the next person. Never once have I felt that my diet has slowed me down—in fact, my experience has been quite the contrary! I never missed a day of school; I participated in a variety of performing arts; I played sports year round; and years later, I even wound up working for a website that centers on Dragonboating, one of the sports I’m completely obsessed with. For my family, I am incredibly grateful that they also eventually began to adapt a healthier diet and lifestyle. While I don’t try to impose my view on others, if my actions effect positive differences, even in a roundabout way, then I am more than happy. My family’s healthier approach to diet and exercise was a reward I never expected.
It has now been twenty years since my pre-teen act of defiance, and I never foresaw that it would develop into one of the best decisions I ever made in my life. Through time, more reasons affirming my decision to become a vegetarian simply presented themselves, and so on many levels my diet became an integral part of my character and lifestyle. As an adult I may be different from how I was as a kid, but the fundamental core has always existed. As William Wordsworth wrote “the child is father of the man” and I believe this to be particularly true when thinking of my vegetarianism—this path I made in my youth is a path I still walk today. The beliefs, philosophies, and loves in my life have all intertwined in some fashion with, simply, my diet. It’s such a simple concept—a dietary preference—but its impact is profound. While life changes constantly, I firmly believe that being vegetarian has kept me healthy, fueling my vitality and allowing me to do the things I do, all the while keeping me rooted to principles I embraced early on. In the bigger picture of mind, body and soul, vegetarianism paved a road to happiness in my life on all levels: mental, spiritual and physical.
Jeannie Lin: jeannie@thedragonboatchannel.com
www.thedragonboatchannel.com
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