My First Discussion About Veganism

Life In Between
Sep 2, 2018 · 3 min read

I can still remember my first discussion about veganism. It was in 2011 when I was studying English language and culture in the Lahti folk high school.

In our class, there were two girls; one of them was vegetarian and the other was experimeting with vegan food. I had never met a vegan person before and actually not even a vegetarian. Yes, I come from a little town! I remember it like yesterday, how I was thinking that being a vegan must make you sick. Where do they get their protein? Or calcium? What do they even eat? Personally, I thought back then that I had a well-balanced diet and that I was being “all eater” that is highly valued in Finland, especially among the elderly people.

In 2011, there was the high fitness boom where everybody was thinking about their protein intake and drinking protein shakes — I did not get this boom either, but I remember me thinking I could never stop eating meat and moreover, farming must be ethical in Finland. I was also still deeply brainwashed for consuming milk products: one can’t get enough calcium if one don’t drink three glasses of milk and eat cheese on daily basis.

Now after seven years and after experimenting with the plant-based diet for over two and half years, I do gently laugh at my older self. I have been a walking proof of how deep those old beliefs can be!

Do you remember me mentioning the first vegan discussion at the beginning of this post? Let me tell you how it was. The vegan girl asked a question: why do you eat pig or cow if you don’t eat dog. This is a question I have been asking myself every now and then ever since. Seven years ago my answer was crystal clear and I got a bit defensive and emotional too: I see dogs (and horses) as pets but cows and pigs as farm animals — in other words, production animals. Now after 2,5 years of getting known with veganism, I don’t buy my own answer anymore. I love all animals so why should I eat some and others not. Small family farms are slowly in the history, at least now it seems like it, and the reality is that there are hundreds of cows under the same roof.

Could it be that the defensiveness around veganism is because every one of us knows the system we have built is not quite right but we are too comfortable consuming all the dairy and meat that we don’t want to give it up?

I notice I’m having similar discussions with people around me nowadays, and I can understand the vegan girl better than seven years ago. Could it be that the defensiveness around this topic is because every one of us knows the system we have built is not quite right but we are too comfortable consuming all the dairy and meat that we don’t want to give it up?

Please keep in mind, my aim is not to teach anyone a lesson but to make you think and maybe even share your thoughts. As always, please let me know what are your thoughts! I’m curious to know!

Love,

Ama

Written by

28, from Finland living in Germany. Obsessed with minimalist and sustainable lifestyle and being organised. Brand Creator and Co-founder at Népra (@wearnepra).

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