read between the runs

each year, october 18th holds a very special place in my heart. it is the day that, on a whim, i decided to stop eating meat.

well, truthfully, when i initially made the decision, it was only going to be for a week, but once the week was over i just kept it going. and going. and now it’s been nine years.

i know the reception that vegans have, and i would hate to be that guy so i mostly keep to myself as much as i can when it comes to diet. i also would not typically take time to talk about my journey to veganism since i realize that people don’t particularly care about my individual decisions, but i have myself as my own captive audience and thought it could be a fun way to help celebrate nine years!

the story begins on saturday october 15, 2016. i drove up to the twin cities to spend the weekend with my high school friend laura, her very cool roommates (her words, i had yet to be convinced) and the third part of our three mile radius, samantha. we woke up in the morning and did whatever morning stuff, but i recall that for lunch we went to a szechuan chinese spot that was quite near their apartment. we six went inside, got a table, and began looking over the menu.

specific details are vague, so i’ll just recreate to the best of my ability. i don’t remember if i already knew that emma was a vegetatian or not from previous conversations during that day or the prior one, but regardless it came up when deciding on a meal, as it is prone to do. someone must have asked her if she could find anything to eat, and she likely said something self-deprecating about how there was. i feel like i asked if she typically had issues finding something to eat and she replied in the negative. i distinctly remember saying “yeah, i could never do that” which is surely the most ironic thing i have ever said in my life. i literally said the exact same unkind thing that all carnivores say about how they love eating meat too much and then literally stopped forever three days later. freaking wild stuff.

but anyway, i can’t even remember what i would have ordered to eat there. like, as of today the thought of any like fried rice or noodle dish with chicken or beef literally doesn’t even sound good. and i can’t think of what else i would be ordering from chinese restaurants as a 19 year old, so i suppose that one will remain a mystery.

anyway, we enjoyed our weekend and had a great time communing before it was time to return back to my own campus. details are a bit hazy here as well, but my heart tells me that on monday the 17th at breakfast with my big mans i was still thinking about my interaction with emma. i suppose that i felt bad about jumping to such a strong conclusion without even thinking about whether or not i could live without eating meat. so while we were eating breakfast, i told him about my quickly conceived plan to try going for a week without eating any meat. literally just came up with the idea at breakfast. it felt more of a challenge than anything else; a vindication to shutting down the idea of vegetarianism so quickly. i don’t recall his feelings on the matter, but i believe he thought it would be interesting to try. so i finished my sausage biscuits and gravy and started my challenge. this means that my first official day meat free would be tuesday, the 18th.

well, the first week went by and i must have thought that it was pretty easy because here i am now. after the first week i think i told myself that i was just going to try to last as long as i could and stop whenever i felt like it. but here i still am!

the main question i receive today is surprisingly not where i get my protein from, but rather why i am vegan. well that’s the tale of how it began, but today i remain committed for several reasons.

1. Health
   • there are several and many documented benefits for overall health and wellbeing correlated with a plant-based diet that i need not delineate here. but the connection is undeniable and i want to have as many healthy years of life as i possibly can, and i believe this helps me do so.
2. Environment
   • relatedly, there is a wealth of evidence supporting the idea of how a plant-based diet benefits the planet. from reduced water consumption, decreased greenhouse gas emissions, less pollution, and perhaps most importantly, no deforestation occurs for my meals.
3. Increased Energy
   • especially right when i made the change, i felt like i was able to maintain energy levels more easily throughout the day. my body required less time to recover from huge efforts, and i required a bit less sleep to accomplish my daily goals.
4. Delicious Food
   • because i forced myself to broaden my horizons, i have found meals upon meals that i would never have even considered eating before that are now my favorites. i was never a healthy eater, and admittedly still am not always, but it is certainly much improved. i shudder to think where i would be if i hadn’t made the change.

for whatever reason, i still don’t find myself moved too much about how me decision reduces the suffering of animals. it’s not that i don’t care, just that it is not a needle mover for me.

nine years in and through all the ridicule, struggles, meals eaten before events, and meals i skipped, i genuinely could not be more proud of myself for making this decision for myself. it was exceptionally hard at times, especially at the beginning when i allowed myself not an ounce of grace. i am incredibly grateful for the omnivorous friends who have accommodated me repeatedly, the vegan community for their silent support, grocery stores that sell more plant-based items, and a devout belief in myself and that i was doing something larger than me.

i love being vegan!

thanks for reading 🙂

do great; be happy