RE: motivating experiences & vegan / vegetarian

[Guest guest]

One day a about two years ago, I was channel surfing and came across a

program called the " Genesis Awards. " The title intrigued me, and I'd

never heard of such an award before that day, so I watched a bit (I

didn't realized that I had landed on the Animal Planet cable channel).

They were giving out awards to people who worked on the behalf of

animals and one award went to someone who made a documentary about veal

calves. They showed some of the footage (I don't remember the name of

the film) and I became heartbroken. I had no idea that people would do

such heinous things to animals for the sake of " food. " I also learned

on that program what goes into Premarin, a drug for women, as well as

other outrageously inhumane treatment of animals for food and research.

I decide then and there that I would not knowingly consume animal

products and began learning what I could about the treatment of animals,

the things they never teach us and keep hidden as much as possible. So

I guess my anniversary is whatever day (in spring, I think) that those

Genesis Awards were/are broadcast. I don't make any special celebration

for it, but feel that I celebrate everyday that I reamin committed to

being vegan, that I do not contribute to the harm of animals and when I

manage to successfully educate other people about the horrors we put

animals through, especially factory farming and the devastation to the

environment and human health.

 

DeniseC

 

One Planet ~ One People

 

:

:Tammy [tammy]

:Sunday, May 05, 2002 8:34 AM

:SF-Be-A-Veg

:[sFBAVeg] motivating experiences & vegan / vegetarian

:anniversaries

:

:Hi everyone,

:

:Just curious if any of you know " exactly " when you became vegan or

:vegetarian, and do you celebrate it? For me, it was an important

turning

:point in my life and I know roughly when it happened but I don't know

an

:exact date. It was somewhere in the Fall of 1989, because I was

already

:vegan by the time I went that following winter to a PETA Animal Rights

101

:conference... The conference was a totally awesome experience (met some

:great people, totally overwhelmed and inspired by what I learned from

the

:PETA staff but MOST importantly had some really good food because up to

:that

:point my own vegan cooking was pretty mediocre... but future dinner

guests,

:don't be afraid, my cooking is much improved now... I practice a lot!)

The

:real introduction, though, was just stumbling across a copy (purely by

:chance) of The Animal's Voice Magazine in a yogurt shop. The magazine

was

:read from cover to cover. It was a real eye opening experience, and I

:wrote

:many non-profit groups asking for more information. Joined many

groups,

:learned more..... but it was the PETA workshop that introduced me to

the

:local veg/AR community around me. Living at that time in Contra Costa,

not

:having e-mail access as I do now, I didn't know a single veg*n when I

made

:that intuitive decision..... But, within 2 months of the PETA

conference, I

:found out first-hand that there were a lot of people really interested

in

:veg*nism and met other veg*ns. My then new friend Paula said " Hey,

it's

:1990, they're going to do Earth Day. I have PETA's tabling kit, Let's

do a

:table " . And that's how a lot of things got started for me....

:

:If you're still (as Bob Linden* says) a pre-vegan, there is a wealth of

:veg*n experience on this list! It really helps to have support during

a

:transition to a veg*n lifestyle, whether that be personal support from

a

:friend or someone in your family, or your " virtual community " like

SFBAVeg.

:So if you have questions, don't be shy.

:

:*Bob Linden is the host of the radio talk show " Go Vegan " SUNDAYS -

9PM

:SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA ~ KYCY/1550AM http://www.goveganradio.com/

:

:So.... If there was a single or series of experiences that has or is

:propelling you on/towards the veg*n path, I hope you'll share it with

us!

:Along with your veg*n anniversary date, please.

:

:Cheers,

:Tammy