Balance
This is my biggest challenge in life, and will probably continue to be. I am a passionate person and I commit myself to everything I believe in, sometimes to the disadvantage of other very important parts of my life, which I care just as much about. Especially at the beginning of establishing myself in a belief or lifestyle I usually go so far one way that I lose all balance in my life. I have learned my lesson, yet again, from friends and family who care enough to be honest with me and tell me what they see. My latest example of lifestyle imbalance took the form of Veganism. This is not to say that Veganism, or any of the other lifestyle choices I have made, is not good or important, it means that sometimes during different parts of my life I have to make compromises to protect the healthy incredibly valuable balance that exists during the times when I am the happiest. This revelation has occurred to me slowly, having made many mistakes, but I am eternally grateful for the family and friends who are constantly there to pull me back into balance. You know who you are and thank you. But now that I am equipped with a better understanding than I had before I will manage the undoubtedly difficult challenges that I have yet to bestow on myself.
As far as Veganism goes, I am not done with it, but for this time of my life I need to modify it to retain the balance I need. The modifications I have made are:
1. I will seek out wherever I am (Fredericton very soon) a farmer who raises truly free range organic eggs and buy from him/her. Whether that is through a market or otherwise I will figure it out when I get there.
2. I am using whey protein supplements. I will still not drink milk or eat other milk products, but Vegan protein supplement alternatives are just too time consuming and cost (especially cost) prohibitive for this time in my life (poor, parent-dependent student).
I guess that makes me an ovo-vegetarian, to put a label on it.
A couple notes for clarity’s sake:
Modification #1 came about because I reread, my first post on veganism with new eyes, having spoken at length with someone who knows me better than I do. Secondly it is the product of the realization that I am not just interested in Veganism for myself. I want to present people with possibilities that they may not have seen before (I know I didn’t know anything about Veganism before someone showed me). I want to show people that there is an alternative to meat and meat products, and that change is possible. But cutting them out altogether is not an alternative…it is a negative. The Vegan movement is based in many ways on negativity anger and hatred, and that will get only negativity anger and hatred in return. Rather than offer negativity and, for many people, unrealistic and unreachable goals, why not give them something they can see and work towards (truly free range eggs for example). This is a positive gesture; so rather than telling them all the reasons why they shouldn’t eat eggs and why it’s cruel, I present a real alternative, and if that is accepted we work from there. Seeing the bigger picture offers patience and understanding, and I am happy to say that I have achieved just a little more of both.
Finally I am printing off this phrase Find a balance you can be happy with. in large type and putting it in the frame of my favorite painting which will hang on a wall in my room. It will remind me of two things: 1. Balance brings understanding peace and happiness. 2. Friends are more important than I can ever fathom, listen to them and love them. Thank you Charlie.
