Oxymoronic.

I was going to post another "in the rain" story, but this takes precedence.

So, I am a vegan. And now I am a confused vegan. I am a confused and alone vegan who hits my six month mark in about four days. I started reading this book about Veganism called Vegan Freak: Being Vegan in a Non-Vegan World Version 2.0: Revised, Expanded & Updated (dude that is a long title) by Jenna and Bob Torres. In the book, they mention a vegan freak forum. I guess the site got shut down because I can't find it. I'm also astonished because it appears that this site is (or was?) some sort of hardcore, clandestine community by invite only that had a lot of issues with judgmental members.

This really makes me sad.

We're not going to be able to help one another and convince others of our mission and morals if we're too busy making others who are trying it out feel bad about themselves. I think criticism at that level only makes people want to give up more because who wants to be part of an isolationist community that doesn't wish to accept others who are not quite at the same level of hardcoreness as they are.

Obviously, I am not blaming the forum or jumping to any conclusions (because I have no flipping idea where the forum is), and I am enjoying the book very much, but I do think it needs to be put out there that not everyone can just change what they were raised doing and eating at the drop of a hat. I recommend reading the book The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business by Charles Duhigg. It's enlightening, and it will make anyone think twice before judging another who has trouble breaking a habit. I used to judge people about stuff like that too, so now I really understand both sides of being a habit-breaker and being someone judgmental of people who cannot break habits.

 Anyway, back to the forum. Does anyone know where this thing went? Also, it'd be interesting to hear both sides as to whether an "invite only" social-issues forum would be helpful because it keeps out spammers, or harmful because it can leave out people who want to be part of the community but are having trouble succeeding or finding someone who can invite them in.

Veganism is hard, even if you understand all the humanitarian and nutritional reasons to quit. Animal products are DEEPLY ingrained in our culture, but it is not as difficult to quit as one would think.

 My next entry will probably expand upon veganism. I've pulled a lot of passages from The China Study by T. Colin Campbell PhD and Thomas M. Campbell II, MD backing up the nutritional argument for veganism. I'll just turn it into a series because there are a LOT of medical reasons to drop animal products. I am an ethical vegan too. Actually, I am an ethical vegan first and foremost. But I'll get into that later. I don't want to alienate anyone from the blog, and I'll post disclaimers up before sharing any particularly disturbing ethical reasons to be vegan.

 Hoping to hear feedback. Bean me up, Scottie.

Bean out.