Happy Anniversary to the More Than a Hundred Animals I Saved Last Year!

This past weekend Trip and I celebrated a very special anniversary - one year since year since we became full-fledged vegetarians.

Wow - a year. Although it seems like much longer. Not in the "Gosh I need a burger" kind of way. More in the, "I can't believe I haven't lived this way my whole life" kind of way.

This is not actually my first experience with vegetarianism. Fast backward to me at 18, when I saw an Earth Day special on MTV that totally changed my life. I know, hokey, right? But to an 18-year-old that had never been exposed to animal abuse, it really was a life changing event. I guess up until then I was a naive girl that truly couldn't fathom the idea that a human being would want to deliberately hurt an animal. I grew up in household that at any given time had at least one dog and one cat (but more often than not at least a couple of each). Our pets were not pets - they were family members. We joke now that mom used to take the pets to the vet more than she took us to the doctor. This was what I knew.

So when I saw that peaceful white seal being clubbed on the head - I froze. Then I cried. Then I asked questions. Why? HOW?

It was around this same time that I went to my first Body Shop on a visit to my sister's. I don't know if any of you remember The Body Shop when it first came to the states, but it had tons and tons of pamphlets on animal testing, endangered species and animal abuse. It was the first time that a company seemed more focused on making a difference then making a buck (unfortunately, after Anita Roddick sold the company, it lost a bit of it's focus - but I'm still a dedicated shopper).

The more I read, the more I was disgusted, and the more I wanted to DO SOMETHING. So at 18, on my way off to Santa Clara University, I decided to stop eating meat.

This was 1994, people. There was no Boca burger, no Whole Foods (at least not near where I lived), no tofu paté (can you even imagine), and frankly, I didn't really educate myself on how to get the protein and nutrients that I needed. So what happened? A few years later a then 98 pound healthy teenager became an 85 pound 20-year-old anemic. After getting sick of the shots of B-12 (and my mom getting sick of telling people "no, my daughter is not anorexic"), I made a trip to the doctor - who basically told me I had to eat meat. Yes, I was a stupid 20-year-old that trusted her doctor and thought that really was my only option. So I started to eat meat again.

Fast forward to a year ago. Trip was taking an Environmental Ethics class and we were getting into these passionate discussions about the horrible environmental impact of the meat industry. Independent of that I was having conversations with a co-worker about the state of the meat industry and all the gross icky funk thats in it all. The stars were aligning. Some crazy force was beating me over the head - "you should not be eating meat!" So over lunch one day I told my friend the fish I was eating would be my last, that I was going to go back to work and print out a bunch of information to support my case for when I would tell Trip that evening.

On my drive my home I even practiced in my head what I would tell him. "It's not just an ethical choice, but an environmental one, too..."

The phone rings.

Me: Hi sweetie bear pumpkin face (or something like that).

Trip: Hello love of my life to which the sun rises and sets (or something like that). I've been reading for my Environmental Ethics class, and the more I think about it, the more I really want to become a vegetarian.

Me: (silence)

Trip: Hello? Did you hear me?

Me: (cannot speak as I am overcome by how much that crazy force REALLY wants me to become a vegetarian)

I don't know if you believe in fate folks, but you have to admit this is crazy. Whats even more amazing is how easily we transitioned into this new lifestyle. For two people that would eat sushi about once a week, we both just had this immediate change. In our heads, in our hearts, in our bodies - it just happened. And the rest is, well, a meatless history.

Which bring me to today. A year later. Now, even all you die-hard meat eaters must be slightly concerned with the recent 143 million pounds of beef recall - the largest meat recall in its history. I'm not trying to preach (don't eat meat) or convert (don't eat meat) or brainwash (don't eat meat). In fact, I don't even care if you give up meat or not (even though you should). But if you aren't willing to give up meat completely, at least try getting your meat from a less-alarming source. When buying your meat, just remember that the more you go with eco-meat, the better the chance that producers will change their ways. Check out the eat well guide to find where to get wholesome, fresh, sustainable food. You will make a difference!