I believe the credit for the above photo goes to Herbivore Clothing Company, but I can’t seem to find where I got it from now…
As New Years was approaching, I began to think about the past year, as we all do, and of course, the year to come. It seems a convenient time to me to make a resolution in my life to make a permanent change. Something has been weighing on my heart and my mind a lot lately.
I bought a sweater a few months ago and saw that the tag said “angora” and I bought it anyway because I loved the fit and styling so much, but the decision has weighed on me. My dad took me shopping after Christmas and wanted to buy me warm socks at REI. He loves the SmartWool brand and really wanted to get some for me. I didn’t have the heart to have the “please no animal product” conversation with him. He bought me four pair, two of which I’ll be taking back and two of which I’ve been wearing. And it’s been weighing on me. I’ve somewhat been in the market for a new pair of boots and can’t bring myself to buy leather ones, even though I love these, because it’s been weighing on me. Every time I crack the eggs for some cornbread or put the cheese on top of my pizza, something just doesn’t feel right in my spirit.
So, I’m making the change… toward the vegan way of life. When I went vegetarian a year and a half ago, I cut out most dairy and eggs as well. The only reason I’ve not gone vegan yet is because I haven’t wanted to deal with what others will say and I don’t want to inconvenience anyone (admittedly myself on occasion), but this is hardly a good reason to continue to make choices that don’t line up with my values. Factory farming practices are shockingly horrifying. Really. I don’t want to be a part of it in any way, shape or form. It is not good for anyone involved – not the animals, not the environment, surely, not the people perpetuating the violence and not for the health of those who consume those products. It would be wrong for me to continue to support these practices, particularly against my own conscience. At this point I plan to keep the things I already own that are not vegan, because I don’t think it would benefit anyone for me to just throw them out, but from here on out all purchases shall be cruelty free.
While it may seem like an extreme choice to some, for me I think for the most part it will just be woven into the fabric of my life, as so many other changes have been. I’ve learned that nothing is so difficult as it seems it will be, especially when motivated by something more important than any minor inconvenience. This is not meant as a judgment upon anyone else, though sadly, I know some will perceive it that way. It’s just another step toward becoming who I am. Wish me luck! I think it’s going to feel really good. Happy New Year!
ok, so this is the first one i don’t understand. so i ask you to enlighten me.
i understand the commercial farming, poor treatment of animals, bad for the environment and those arguments.
but, it seems like wearing wool is a natural choice. and maybe healthier than wearing something synthetic, that doesn’t breathe, etc. especially over fleece, which is often made of plastic… which seems worse to me than shearing a sheep (environmentally). so, how do you pick your evils? what if the nice lady down the road knits me some alpaca mittens from her very own alpaca farm? that’s not ok? and which synthetic materials would you stay away from? just curious. i feel like i’m missing something.
what if i get my own chickens?
yes, wool is a much more natural choice than synthetic fibers, for sure. the problem for me is animal suffering. i think that our treatment of living beings is important and i just don’t see how it’s even legal to abuse animals. i think if people really knew what living conditions and animal treatment was like on factory farms, things would change (I hope), because it’s not just bad, it’s awful. so, i would like to not support it. there are natural alternatives to animal fur and leather, like hemp and cotton. fleece is often made of recycled plastic, so while it’s still synthetic/plastic, there are possibly worse choices (depending on the fleece you buy). if it weren’t for factory farming, like you’re saying, I would probably feel differently about wearing wool, etc. the best decision is probably to buy used stuff and so you avoid supporting child labor too, i need to get better at that. anyway, I say it’s up to you. I’m just talking about how I feel. If you want to have your own chickens, go for it!! I would feed their eggs to elena, but I don’t think there is any room for chickens in your apartment.
i know there’s no room for chickens in my apt. sigh. i did read up on the treatment of sheep in australia and it’s a bit questionable. it seems like the smartwool people are trying to be good to theirs, but how do you really know? and it turns out cage free might just mean there is a gate on the cage that the chickens can choose to use…. hmm. i hope, in some ways, the economy continues to die so that we are all forced to grow food and help our neighbors, rather than rely on trucked in food from places we know nothing about. well, “rely on” isn’t true, but you get my drift.
p.s. your post is possibly related to “God made us sisters, prozac made us friends.”
i would love to grow my own food someday, or at very least have relationship with people who do. I would like find a local farm that has eggs from chickens I know are treated well. whole foods are better than supplements, so I would rather feed elena eggs. but, i currently don’t have that set up. so, to address what you said… you’re right, cage-free/free-range is better, but not cruelty free. all male chicks are thrown into bags and smothered to death at birth, females have their beaks painfully seared off and they still don’t see the light of day or actually touch natural ground (in most cases). egg laying hens are slaughtered at less than half their natural life span and the slaughtering process is the worst part. they are thrown into trucks and starved almost to death before even reaching the slaughter house, and that’s just chickens. it’s all so awful, so that’s my main reason for withdrawing my support from the industry. i also believe it’s bad for the people who work in those conditions. It does something to you to be desensitized to violence like that. Anyone who treated their pets in such a manner would be prosecuted.
Abstaining from animal products has lots of other benefits, like freeing up more land from deforestation, plus the health benefits and the fact that it takes less land to grow grain/plants than it does animals for food. so, yeah, you’re right, we need food, not lawns
then, maybe there would be less hunger and suffering in the world – both animals and people.
Happy New Year, to my favorite GREEN blogger! Thanks for reminding me of the truth. I feel like without a support group, it’s hard to stay the course.
We’ve hit an economic slowdown personally now that Josh is in school and only working part time and I just quit my secretary job (do to risks to my mental health) and am only working part time at Peet’s until this new restaurant that I got a serving job at is open. The limited income has made me rethink how I cook, looking more to my pantry and less to what’s ready and waiting for me at the store. I have tomorrow off, so I’m thinking about cooking up a bunch of spaghetti sauce and freezing it in small batches for later. It’s nice to cook in bulk in a way that won’t be wasteful.
Anyways, keep up the good work, Lauren. It is admirable! I miss you guys, but I think the Lord has us right where we need to be! Take care… Ruth