Once Upon a Vegan ~ 1st Podcast ~ My Story

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Here is my Vegan Story which has needed official telling for quite sometime. I do so in response to episode one - NZ Vegan podcast - Where Elizabeth Collins (aka Knuckles) sends out the word from down under that talking about our vegan experiences and telling of our journey with one another is therapeutic. Certainly she is right.

Although I blog as Provoked, it's become clear that is not sufficient to "heal" my injured soul. I need to speak of more personal experiences... and not always with anger, but many times with sadness and introspection for what I was blind to before becoming vegan... when I was a "nice vegetarian".

I know I am not the first to say this, but the scenario is much like the tale of The Emperor and His New Clothes.

And ever since I've realized this dual, hidden culture, I've been attempting to reclaim my "inner child", and the purity of the respect I was taught to have for animals; those I was taught were my "friends". And as Will Tuttle reveals it is an odd world they set us in... the myths and fantasies all meant to block critical thought... especially regarding our horrific and unnecessary mistreatment to animals. It's heartbreaking to discover these truths.

Part of my vegan story includes the attempt to go back to "the beginning". I want to identify the deviations regarding how our mistreatment to animals occurs. In essence I'm very curious, (from an emotional and intellectual level) how I was duped! What did I not see that I should have? What did I avoid in the way of seeking and embracing truth? I'm very interested in the cultural indoctrination to which we are all born into. I want to examine why and how our beliefs came to be. This starts with the children as we know.

So I also mention the programs that are now attempting to teach kids empathy and compassion. These educational programs help teach the young to stay connected to their ideals of kindness and fairness. Here are some such programs: Humane Education & Kind Teach.

I don't believe that any of us had "bad parenting" in the sense that we were taught to be cruel to animals - But we are taught to accept, disregard and ignore our treatment to (some) of them... And because we are raised to think and believe we are "compassionate" we just assume we are. Certainly I did... I was a "nice" vegetarian! How could I have known about the treatment to egg laying hens and milk "giving" cows? But one video changed all that.
Then I became a vegan, an Animal Rights vegan, an Abolitionist Animal Rights vegan. But after this point too, in community and social gatherings, I also became the "absent reference" mentioned in Carol Adams in "Living Among Meateaters".

I mention an essay by Roger Yates: On Human-Nonhuman Relations 3 Years Young. I think we are on much firmer footing with the principles set forth by Gary Francione's Abolitionist Approach... Furthermore, I believe that today's communication enables the movement to increases awareness and encourages activism. Information moves so fast now, that we are sure to pick up speed regarding the concepts of animal rights and veganism.

I hope on this blog and in future podcasts, to explore these discoveries. And to share more insights that I have as it relates to the divulged world I now find myself in. In a sense I want to restore an innocence which has been stolen from me... My desire is that this blog will document the process...

For now... I will end this first post with a request to anyone listening or reading, to please send me your vegan story so that I may add it to the others listed on the sidebar. I think it's important that we share our stories... It's a great comfort to me hearing how others navigate their journey... hopefully it will help another on their path as well.

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