{"id":2900,"date":"2012-01-19T12:16:33","date_gmt":"2012-01-19T20:16:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.happycow.net\/blog\/?p=2900"},"modified":"2012-01-19T12:17:12","modified_gmt":"2012-01-19T20:17:12","slug":"i-am-vegan-hear-me-roar","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.happycow.net\/blog\/i-am-vegan-hear-me-roar\/","title":{"rendered":"I Am Vegan, Hear Me Roar"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>

\"\"
\nI\u2019m a Libra so it\u2019s in my my nature to attempt to keep things around me calm and zen-like. I don\u2019t like confrontations or heated discussions. I prefer to not make waves or upset people. For most of my life I have avoided saying things (out loud) to people that may alter their opinion of me in a negative way. When I first became vegan these character traits played heavily into how I communicated my new way of eating.<\/p>\n

At first, I didn\u2019t want my decision to define who I was as person. I didn\u2019t want to be known as \u201cKylie the Vegan\u201d. It was just a diet choice so why should it be such a big deal? When I went to restaurants I avoided using the term \u201cvegan\u201d when asking questions about certain menu items. I was afraid of being annoying to the wait staff and whatever company I was with at the time. My husband would make a point of telling them \u201cshe\u2019s vegan\u201d in a half mocking\/half supportive way. It\u2019s not that I was ashamed, I was just too concerned with others thinking \u201ccrap, not another annoying vegan\u201d – because I\u2019m very aware of the stereotype that surrounds us.<\/p>\n

I tried not to lecture my friends and family about the atrocities of the meat and dairy industries. I didn\u2019t attempt to make them feel guilty about what they were putting into their mouths. I answered their questions if asked, but tried to remain nonchalant about it all. For some reason I just felt like I had to stay as neutral a possible on the subject, that I would somehow isolate myself from my loved ones by having strong convictions. Believe me, it\u2019s not a healthy way to live. Keeping your thoughts bottled inside can be toxic to your soul.<\/p>\n

\"\"A few months ago though, this all started to change. The more articles and books I read and the more like-minded people I started to meet helped morph my simple \u201cdiet choice\u201d into a lifestyle choice. It was no longer about merely what I chose not to eat, but more about making kinder choices in all aspects of my daily life. I no longer buy leather or support companies that test on animals. I try to be conscious of all my actions and how they may affect other living creatures.<\/p>\n

Something this significant should not be hidden away like a dirty secret. I began to feel proud of who I was becoming and the compassionate way I decided to live my life. I no longer shy away from defining myself as a vegan because it\u2019s who I am. I fully embrace all that being a vegan means and it has already changed my life in tremendous ways. I\u2019m happier, I\u2019m healthier and I\u2019m more open minded to what the Earth has to offer.<\/p>\n

I don\u2019t plan on becoming a self-righteous prosthelytizer, but I do have a voice and it should be heard. All I can hope is that seeing me inspires others to do their own research and make positive changes for themselves, because it truly is worth it.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I\u2019m a Libra so it\u2019s in my my nature to attempt to keep things around me calm and zen-like. I don\u2019t like confrontations or heated discussions. I prefer to not make waves or upset people. For most of my life I have avoided saying things (out loud) to people that may alter their opinion of me in a negative way. When I first became vegan these character traits played heavily into how I communicated my new way of eating. At first, I didn\u2019t want my decision to define who I was as person. I didn\u2019t want to be known as \u201cKylie the Vegan\u201d. It was just a diet choice so why should it be such a big deal? When I went to restaurants I avoided using the term \u201cvegan\u201d when asking questions about certain menu items. I was afraid of being annoying to the wait staff and whatever company I was with at the time. My husband would make a point of telling them \u201cshe\u2019s vegan\u201d in a half mocking\/half supportive way. It\u2019s not that I was ashamed, I was just too concerned with others thinking \u201ccrap, not another annoying vegan\u201d – because I\u2019m very aware of the stereotype that […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":46818,"featured_media":2901,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,3],"tags":[171,16],"class_list":["post-2900","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-general","category-vegan","tag-becoming-vegan","tag-veganism"],"yoast_head":"\nI Am Vegan, Hear Me Roar - HappyCow<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.happycow.net\/blog\/i-am-vegan-hear-me-roar\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"I Am Vegan, Hear Me Roar - HappyCow\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"I\u2019m a Libra so it\u2019s in my my nature to attempt to keep things around me calm and zen-like. 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