When I first met Lizzie and started to get to know her I hoped she would consider becoming a vegan, or at least a lacto-ovo vegetarian. It turned out that she tried to go vegetarian a while back, but failed miserably. She apparently did the typical mistake most do when they change their diet; they forget to see to it that they get the right amount of nutrition. Changing your diet is not only about excluding food products, but also introducing new food products to compensate.
In the beginning of our relationship she ate meat, but after a while she wanted to try to go vegetarian again; or more correct, lacto-ovo vegetarian. The months went by without meat and she was still very healthy. I guess that having nutrition part of my curriculum for two years at school and I love cooking helped a bit.
As I’m vegan and don’t accept any use of animals and Lizzie is a tiny bit more accepting to the use of animals than I am, we’ve had a few discussions that have become a bit heated. We are both a bit stubborn and true to our decisions, so no one really didn’t want to give in. We have of course had many more good vegan/vegetarian discussions where we were friends afterwards.
When she come to work today she told me something that kind of surprised me, but made me very happy and proud. She told me that she is thinking about going vegan.
She also wrote this on Twitter:
pondering an ethical dilemma in regards to her love of horse riding and views on animal rights and welfare :S
Reading that really makes a vegan very happy, touched and proud. =) Am I really rubbing off on you that much? =) #vegan
I’m not saying I had lost hope on making Lizzie understand that veganism is a good thing and animals is not for us to use as we see fit. I was positively surprised.
We have the knowledge and choices to know we do not need to eat meat and animal products to be fit; because a vegan diet is a far more healthier diet than a regular diet with meat and animal products. We are able to combine reason and compassion to understand it is wrong using animals as they were inanimate things without feelings.
Animals are my friends and I don’t hurt, torture, kill or eat my friends.
How I inspired Lizzie I can’t really tell you, as I’m a bit unsure about it myself. As I mentioned, we have had a few heated discussions who most know never is a good way to convince someone. Still, that is just an extreme minority of the things we’ve talked about. I guess most of my good natured veganism has rubbed off on her; and also that I’m able to explain my decision in a logical and non-pressuring way. I love talking about most of my interests if I meet someone who share my passion or if they just are curious; and the key is that I talk about it, not sell it to you. I want people to think for themselves and make their own decisions. I gladly feed them with information and knowledge, but in the end it’s up to them what they should do with it.
Go vegan!
Posted on 12/01/2009 by Dr. W
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